ON HOLD Let The Black Wolf Rise
by G.C.Zanetti
Summary: Kiara was used to being alone. Everyone she'd loved became everyone she'd lost, but once Nick Fury drags her back into SHIELD's freak show, she realises that solitude is not longer an option. Especially when that idiot in the metal suit keeps trying to get himself killed, and that reckless soldier makes her heart stop every time he walks in the room.
1. Prologue

**SIBERIA, 1986**

Harsh winds blew through the freezing corridors of the facility, biting at the skin of the men who had gathered in the central room. They grumbled and complained as they waited, rubbing their arms to bring some heat back into their limbs before they lost all feeling.

To Valcov, it was an amusing sight; Each one of them were powerful men, running countries and businesses which controlled the world. Spectacular men. Grand men. Yet they were being brought to their knees by a simple chill, like any mortal. He was certain, no matter the circumstances, that when he stood among the most powerful, he would never submit to such minor hardships. No, he was an extraordinary man, with an extraordinary gift, one that would secure both HYDRA's and his own place in the world.

"Gentlemen." Valcov stepped forward, gazing down upon them from the railings above. "I'm pleased you could join us here for such a momentous occasion."

"Another failed experiment, you mean?" snapped one of them, glaring up at the scientist, who simply chuckled.

"I think you will be surprised by what you see here today, Chairman. After all, it has never been seen before." Valcov folded his hands behind his back, letting a smirk grace his lips. "For as long as I can remember, I have admired and idolised the tales of Mythology. The Gods, the monsters, the battles. The Gods ruled with an iron fist, stamping down chaos should it arise. However, my favourite of all was the Greek Goddess of war; Enyo brought cities toppling to the ground, she slaughtered anyone who would dare challenge her. She had the streets flooding with her enemies blood. She was merciless and unstoppable.

"Gentlemen, HYDRA is engaged in a ongoing battle against the chaos of the world, and we are losing. When our only answer to the world is the Winter Soldier, who breeds chaos rather than eliminating it, we do not win. We simply slip further towards our indefinite demise, and I cannot sit back and let that happen. For almost fifty years, this facility has been working to create HYDRA's answer to world order. And we have succeeded. We've been creating our very own Enyo, and she's ready to fulfil her mission."

Valcov watched with thrill as the men glanced between each other, looks of suspicion, doubt, and hints of fear filling their expressions as they watched several guards lead a young girl into the protected cell before them, and secure her into a metal chair as they prepared her for something. Looks of horror took over their expressions as they realised that this girl looked barely into her teen years. She was petite, with scars marring her black skin. Her hair was matted and unkempt. She looked utterly terrified.

"Valcov! What is the meaning of this? Are you out of your mind?"

"You see, the serum you used to create the Winter Soldier was functional, it performed its purpose. But it didn't fulfil our own. We need something more than a soldier, we need a monster. So I give you one."

"This is a child!"

"Precisely." A cruel smile pulled at Valcov's lips. "Sokolov! Lets begin."

A small, ratty sort of man nodded excitedly from behind him as he turned up the dials on the control board, earning blood-curdling screams from the girl. She struggled against her restraints, tugging harshly and thrashing in a pathetic attempt to break free.

"Альфа. кровь. пуля."

As Valcov spoke those words, the girls struggling became much more erratic. Hot tears poured down her cheeks and she bit down hard on her mouth guard. The metal of the chair creaked loudly as she pulled hard against it before letting out another wave of screams as the bouts of electricity flowed through her body.

"VALCOV! END THIS!"

Valcov could hear nothing but the piercing screams of his most prized possession, his eyes gleaming with glee and pride as he watched his work come to fruition before him. "волк. Огонь. черный."

The men let out frightened yells as the ground began to tremble while the lights flickered above them, but their eyes were on neither. Instead, they were focused on the girl, whose hair, once pure white, was now flaming red and floating around her head like a halo. They watched with bated breath as the girl ripped herself from her restraints, the metal breaking like a twig as she launched it against the glass, causing a crack.

"Enyo."

The girl suddenly became very still. She stayed silent, her eyes opening to reveal eyes like pools of blood. She blinked, seemingly coming into reality, before they locked onto the group of men who stared back at her. With a nod from Valcov, Sokolov turned down the dials.

"Ready to comply." The girl hissed. Her voice sent shivers down spines, it was cold and unnatural.

"As you can see, she is fully functional. She is strong, if not stronger than your soldier. Her abilities are unparalleled. And she will follow any command." Valcov chuckled as they all seemed frozen in both surprise and fear. "Now, I must admit, I did not call you here to just show you my great work. I'm afraid the real reason is a little more embarrassing than that.

"You see, for years, I have been mocked and ridiculed for my ideas. You claimed I was a mad man. That I was delusional and psychotic. I wonder whether I am those things now, when my true vision stands before you. I am a smart man, Gentlemen, and I knew you would not be happy with just this display only, so I thought you should see first hand what Enyo can do."

Without warning, the door to Enyo's cell lifted, giving her entry into the central room. The men moved back, shouting to contain her. "Kill them all."

The men watched in horror as the girl hunched over, the cracking of bones echoing around the room before her form exploded into that of a wolf. Valcov smiled, watching as it snarled and stalked towards the men before it began its slaughter. The screams were like music to his ears, and he was sure his wolf would not fail him.

"Sokolov!" he called, still watching the attack below.

"Yes, Sir?"

"Tell the guards to prepare her things. I want you to inform her of her next mission."

"Of course, Sir...And- and what is her mission?"

Valcov remained silent, his eyes gleaming as he watched the blood begin to pool around the bodies Enyo left in her wake. "Send her to Chernobyl. Tell her to blow up the Power Plant."

 **A/N: Hello Readers! So this a reviewed, and better planned version of a story I put up a few weeks ago, so if it seems similar, that's why. This will be an ongoing series and will follow the entire MCU right up to Avengers 4 (lol sobs). So, I hope you enjoy it! I would love to hear your feedback!**

 _Edited: 02/02/2019_


	2. Chapter 1 - Not So Friendly Reunion

**TWENTY-SIX YEARS LATER**

 _ **'With the lights out, it's less dangerous  
Here we are now, entertain us  
I feel stupid and contagious  
Here we are now, entertain us  
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido'**_

Kiara Monroe sang loudly to herself, bobbing her head to her music as she laid out on the roof of her apartment. The sun was burning hot, as it always was in Sao Paulo, and Kiara was more than happy to soak up the rays of sunshine for a day, enjoying the tingle on her skin from the heat. It had been a long while since she'd really been able to enjoy the sun, and she had to admit that she'd picked a good day to take off from work; The sun was beaming, the cool wind blew through the Favelas, and she was still indulging in the delicious food her neighbour had made for her.

Humming, she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of her apartment roof, gazing out at the beautiful sight before her. The favelas were dangerous, and less than ideal for most, but the view they provided was out of this world. It felt as though she could see for thousands of miles just from her spot. She bit off another piece of chicken and smiled to herself as she continue to sit and watch, enjoying the breeze which blew through her hair.

Her eyes scanned over the favelas, spotting many people she was familiar with, before she frowned. She put down her food and tilted her head, focusing in on the ruckus happening not too far away. She saw a young boy being hassled by one of the resident gang members. She knew the boy was higher up in the favelas than he should have been, and she also knew that the boy had barely even reached 12.

She quickly folded her earphones and phone into her back pocket before hopping down onto the neighbours' roof. She took off in a run, knowing things could turn ugly very quickly if the boy didn't give him whatever he wanted. The Vipers were the biggest and most notorious of the many gangs that inhabited the favelas. They had a habit of terrorising anyone, no matter whom it was, and she had lost count of the times she'd intervened in one of their many attacks. They hated her for it, and threatened to kill her on too many occasions, but there were few things in the world she was afraid of, and the Vipers certainly weren't one of them.

Kiara kept her eyes on the gang member and the boy, running over the many roofs of the favelas to get to them quicker, but she only felt fear as she came closer, seeing the gang member raise his gun at the boys head. He trembled and sobbed, begging for him to believe him. Knowing the boy had limited time, she jumped from the roof, and landed between the two of them, shielding the boy with her form. She quickly pulled the gun from the member's hand and turned it on him, pressing it against his chest. She was ready to tell him to walk away, before she realised exactly which gang member she was facing.

"Ah, meu amor!"

"What are you doing, Beni? He's just a kid!" she snapped, hitting his arm hard.

"He's a punk, Kiara! All I want is his money." Beni chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair, giving her his usual charming grin.

"You have money, genius! You swore you'd stop this shit! Are you crazy?"

Beni's expression changed at her words. His charming smile changing to a sneer as he shoved her hard. "Am I crazy? Am I crazy? You're making me crazy! You do this shit every time! He's just one punk kid, and you put yourself in my business yet again. Maybe you're crazy, huh?"

He tapped hard on her head and before he knew it, she had his arm twisted behind his back, and his gun pressed against his temple. "Put your hands on me again, and I'll crush them." She hissed, her voice sending chills of fear down his spine. "Go and get your shit out my house!"

She kicked him down before she turned and approached the boy, checking to see if he was harmed. He didn't seem to be, bar some bruises which would go away quickly. She smiled at him before taking his wrist to take him home. However, she could barely walk two steps before Beni was back on his feet.

"You stupid bitch! You think you can put your hands on me? You want to threaten me? I'll kill you!"

With the roll of her eyes, Kiara pointed the gun behind her and shot at his feet, earning a screech from him as the bullet shot into the ground, a mere inch from his toes. She puckered her lips at him over her shoulder before dragging the boy away. He eagerly followed, having to almost jog to keep up with her quick strides.

 **BANG BANG BANG**

"Kiara!"

 **BANG BANG BANG**

"KIARA!"

"I'M UP! Goddamn Kitty!" Kiara grumbled and padded over to the door, throwing it open to reveal her friend, Kitty, looking frazzled. "Whose house did you burn down?" She toyed with her messy hair, earning a swat.

"It'll be yours if you don't start pulling your weight around here." Kiara simply cocked an eyebrow and leant against her doorframe, shooting the girl a smirk. "Mamãe needs you to run to the market and get her some chicken and beans."

"And you can't go because...?"

Kiara dodged another hit from Kitty. "Because I'm busy helping! And you're faster than me! So go!"

"Alright, alright! I'll go."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Kiara waved her off before kicking the door shut to get ready for her unexpected trip.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Kiara made her way through the favelas to get to the markets. It was yet another beautiful day, and Kiara was sure the city would be bustling with tourists and locals alike, which would no doubt be a difficult shopping experience. Sighing, she pulled her skateboard from under her arm once she hit level road and skated down the streets as she hummed along to her music, tapping her feet against the wood to the beat.

She took a sharp turn around a corner and managed to just spot someone running after her. Frowning, she took a quick glance and instantly spotted a few men from the Vipers. She pursed her lips with irritation and simply ignored them, skating faster down the street to get the trip over with. She was sure she was due one of her weekly threats from the gang, and her disagreement with Beni certainly wouldn't have helped her case, so she could only assume that they were trying to get the drop on her, as always.

For the next few blocks, she was very aware that she was being followed, before she actually got to the market. She couldn't spot a single one of them, not even amongst the hectic crowds. She'd expected as much, but the niggling feeling in the back of her mind didn't leave her as she slipped her skateboard through her backpack and fought her way through people to get the things she needed.

Something inside her was screaming for her to run, that she needed to get away as quickly as possible, and she was usually never wrong. She sucked in a breath, scrutinising every face she passed, before she froze in place. Ahead, she spotted a group of men, donned in all black suits, not blending in with the crowd whatsoever. She ducked down and continued to watch them. She tuned her ears into the conversation, trying to ignore the pounding of her heart.

"-here somewhere. Secure the perimeter. Report back to me. Do not engage until Fury gets here."

Kiara's blood ran cold as she let out a shaky breath. They'd found her. After all the running and the hiding and the lying, SHIELD had found her. She fought back a frustrated scream before calming herself down, knowing she could still find a way to get out, and not cause any injury or a scene. She ducked between two stalls and evaluated all her exits, noticing more and more agents now coming to surround the area.

"Come on Kiara, think! Think!"

She continued to follow the movements of the agents and was sure she could get a head start if she had a distraction. Taking a quick breath, Kiara bolted over to a group of people and shoved them all down, causing them to knock over a stand before ducking into another group. She saw that the commotion had gotten the agents' attention, so took her chance as they approached and ducked behind them before making a run for it.

She cleared the market and turned the corner, getting out of sight. She could've jumped for joy, but she was no idiot, she knew fine well that they were not the only people on the lookout for her. She needed to get out of the area and she needed to do it fast.

As she headed back to the favelas, she made sure to stay undercover as much as she could, avoiding security cameras and anyone else who could alert them to her. She was walking straight back into the jaws of the Vipers, but she would rather face them than SHIELD any day of the week.

She was so near her apartment that she was almost touching the handle, but before she could even reach for her keys, she was grabbed by the throat and slammed into the wall, a beaming Beni towering over her as two of his men flanked him, guns being held tightly in their hands while Beni's was being pressed into her sternum.

"Hey Baby, you miss me?" he purred, brushing a stray bit of hair out of her face.

She glowered up at him, her jaw clenching with irritation at his poorly timed threat. "I'd love to humour you, Beni, but you're the least of my problems right now."

In a flash, she shoved her palm up to the bridge of his nose before knocking him off his feet, ripping his gun from his hands as he fell. Before his men could even raise their guns to retaliate, she shot them both in the wrists, earning screams of horror from those who had seen the commotion. She turned to run into her apartment, but froze when she heard cries of shock, and the thudding of boots approaching.

"This is STRIKE Unit 3. Shots fired. We're approaching the targets residence."

As the team rounded the corner, Kiara ducked into the alleyway, but they'd already spotted her, and the chase was on. She ran as fast as she could, taking as many shortcuts and sharp turns as possible, before she was met with the group of Vipers from the market. All of whom were giving her tight smiles, their guns ready to fire.

"Oh, come on!" she moaned, ducking as they fired at her. She hid behind the wall, as she fought a scream of frustration. With both sides coming in hot, there was only one more place she could go, and that was up.

She hauled herself up onto the wall before jumping onto a nearby roof. Without giving anyone a second glance, she sprinted across the roofs of the favelas, jumping from house to house. She was focused only on the busy streets away from the favelas. She was sure that once she was out and into the crowds, she would be in the wind.

So, she pushed harder, running faster and faster before she heard a crash behind her. She whipped her head over her shoulder, her eyes bugging as she spotted a familiar face coming towards her; Brock Rumlow. Without hesitation, she continued running as fast as she could and launched herself over the alleyway before she jumped down, landing safely to her feet. Unfortunately, Rumlow did too, and then he tackled her to the ground.

He caught her hands in his grasp and slammed her hard against the dirt, his face inches away from hers as he shot her the cocky grin she hated so much. With a yell, Kiara kicked him off and jumped to her feet, kneeing him in the side before he could recover. She dodged a punch and went for his stomach before she grabbed his arm and elbowed him hard in the face. He stumbled but recovered quickly and launched himself at her, managing to deliver a hard blow to her stomach. He watched as she winced before he kicked her feet out from under her, her body falling down hard.

"And here I was, thinking you would be hard to catch. You've disappointed me, mutt."

Kiara wanted to get up and fight her way out of SHIELD's grasp, but she was burning with anger and panic as her eyes burned painfully. She pressed her hands to her face, fighting back a scream as she tried to swallow her rage and fight the inevitable. She was so lost in her head that she barely even felt Rumlow dragging her up to her knees, but she became very aware the moment she felt the muzzle of his gun pressing against her temple.

Her blood seemed to turn cold and before even she or Rumlow knew what was happening, she'd gripped his arm and yanked him towards her as she twisted the gun out of his hand. She slammed her fist into his nose and rose to her feet, her eyes burning red as she gripped his throat. Rumlow stared at her, his eyes bugging as he felt the heat starting to creep into his skin the tighter her hand became making his legs give out. She stared at him with such hatred and anger that her eyes seemed to be swimming with fire.

"Monroe!" A booming voice came from beside her, but she didn't even acknowledge them. She simply smirked at Rumlow as he clawed at her hand. "Let him go."

She felt another gun being pressed to her head and she snapped once again, gripping the gun from the hand of the agent and slamming it back into his face before she finally came back to reality and saw what was going on. She was surrounded by STRIKE, all of their guns being trained on her. She glanced down and saw several red dots shining on her chest making her chuckle.

"You think that'll do anything?" she hissed, her sharp canines now becoming more prominent.

"No," came a familiar voice, making her freeze. "But it'll slow you down." Kiara gritted her teeth before letting out a pained screech as several bullets hit her. She fell to her knees and clutched her chest, trying to fight the pain that rocked through her, but the darkness took her first.

A few hours later, Kiara woke in an unfamiliar room, drowsy and confused. Groaning, she lifted her head, instantly cringing as the light burned her eyes. She reached up to rub them, but they came to a sharp stop as she felt the hard tug on her wrists and the jingle of chains. After getting used to the light, she finally opened her eyes and frowned down at the shackles around her wrists.

"Pointless." she scoffed, yanking hard at the chains, making them easily break from around her wrists. She pushed herself up from the chair, wincing at the pain in her chest as she tried to steady herself. She glanced down and saw the bloodied mess that was her shirt before she remembered what had happened earlier. They'd shot her more than once, and it was taking her a little longer to heal, so it was no surprise that she was still in pain. However, the pain only fuelled her anger again.

Narrowing her eyes, she glanced around her cell, only to laugh bitterly; She was being detained in a glass case, with nothing more than a chair inside it. The cell was surrounded by armed guards, all of whom had their fingers poised on the trigger of their guns, most likely waiting for her to lash out. But she did nothing more than send them all a scathing look as she sat herself back down on the chair, resting her head back against the cool glass and staring up at the reflective metal above her. She fought back tears as the weight of the situation dawned on her.

She really only had two options left; Try and escape, or accept her fate. Because she would rather die than go back to what she was before. She doubted she would be given much leeway, and fighting her way out would be extremely difficult with the amount of heat on her. So, perhaps there was really only one choice. For two years she'd gone without incident, and she was doing well. She was helping people, really helping them, and yet, she was back in her cage, almost like she'd never left.

Perhaps that was the whole point; Despite everything, she had ended up right where she started, and she was so tired of all the running and pretending. At some point, it has to come to a close, and she wondered whether she'd reached the end of the line.

"I see you're awake."

Kiara sucked on her teeth, not even bothering to look at Fury as he approached her cell. "Ain't it a miracle?" she drawled.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I was shot in the chest." she snapped, finally looked at him, a flash of red crossing her mahogany eyes. "Oh wait...I was. Several times." She sneered at him before spotting Rumlow by his side, a grin breaking out across her face as she took in his bruised face and neck. "Lookin' good Brock. I really did a number on you, huh?"

"Eat shit, Monroe. You're lucky this cage is protecting you."

In a flash, Kiara was stood by the glass, her eyes burning into Rumlow's, all pain now replaced with anger. "Oh yeah? You wanna go again? Open the doors, tough guy. Let's test that theory, shall we? I'm feeling rather...unhinged today."

Fury turned to glare at Rumlow. "Walk it off."

He nodded to the other guards, all of whom left him alone with Kiara, who was watching Rumlow go, her canines bared. "I see you're no wiser to him."

"He's good at what he does."

"He's full of shit, and you know it." Kiara scoffed, pushing away from the glass as she crossed her arms over her chest, wincing as she did. "Now what do you want, Fury? Because I know you didn't do all this for a friendly catch up."

Fury smirked to himself as he folded hands behind his back. "I need you to come in."

"You know I don't do that anymore." Kiara shook her head firmly. "Besides, I am in no way inclined to help anyone who shoots me."

"It's been two years. We didn't know what state you'd be in." Fury shot back, earning another glare from the young girl.

"I was in a pretty good 'state' actually. I was fine. I was adjusting. Living. Being normal." She clenched her jaw, fighting her anger, knowing it wouldn't do any good.

"We need your expertise, Monroe. You know I wouldn't ask you unless it was important."

Kiara barked out a laugh, disbelief evident on her face. "My 'expertise'? You have hundreds of assassins at your disposal. Use one of them!"

"I don't need you to kill anyone. I just need you to track them, quickly. It's serious...The world is at risk."

"It's always at risk, so forgive me if I'm not believing the severity of this." She shook her head and shrugged. "So if that's all you wanted me for, you can either let me go, or kill me, because I will _never_ work for SHIELD again."

"You would rather prove a point than save millions?"

"I would rather be free. I'm pretty certain it's a constitutional right of mine that's been neglected for a fair few years." Kiara looked away from Fury, awaiting the verdict on her fate.

"Barton's been compromised, Kiara."

Kiara whipped around quickly, her eyes bugging as she approached the glass, her voice barely a whisper. "What did you say?"

Fury frowned. "Barton was compromised yesterday. A God by the name of Loki used some sort of mind control on him. He took several others, and the Tesseract. We can't find them."

Kiara let his words sink in before barking out a laugh. "The Tesseract." She shook her head. "You never learn do you? When will you stop playing with things you can't understand?"

"I'm not here for a lecture, Monroe." Fury snapped, his patience with her running thin.

"No." said Kiara, turning back to him. "You're here for my help. Why? We both know there are plenty of people who can trace something that powerful. You have them at your disposal and you have everything imaginable in your arsenal. So, why do you need me?"

Fury gritted his teeth and glared, but she didn't flinch at his look, she simply waited for an answer. "You remain the best tracker we know. You can locate anything with a trace, and we need this done in a matter of hours, not days. We can't rely on anything else. We're at war with this God."

The young girl gazed at him, her eyes scrutinising every part of his expression, and she saw no dishonesty, but she wasn't willing to give in that easily. "I can track him, obviously. But I'm sure you understand that I won't do it for nothing..."

A flash of amusement flittered over Fury's face. "Obviously. As it stands, you are a prisoner of SHIELD. If you help us now, you will go free and you can live your life without having us looming over your shoulder."

"All that for some tracking?"

Fury nodded. "I give you my word."

She folded her arms as she thought over the terms. "Alright, Fury. You've got yourself a deal. However, if I see a single SHIELD agent on my tail ever again, I'll send them home in a body bag."

"Threats don't suit you, Monroe." Kiara glared. "Understood." Fury nodded before gesturing to the control room to release her. With a hiss, the doors opened, and she was free. Kiara approached Fury who held out his hand. "You find Barton, Loki, and the Tesseract, and we'll leave you alone for as long as you live."

Smirking, Kiara shook it firmly. "Looks like I've got a birdy to track."

 _ **A/N: So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'd appreciate any feedback! Thank you!**_

 _Edited: 02/02/2019_


	3. Chapter 2 - Houdini Returns

**August, 2006**

 **"Alright, Squirt! Come on out, I brought you some stuff!"**

 **Clint stood patiently in front of the glass, narrowing his eyes to peer inside to locate the young girl, but he couldn't see her. He chuckled to himself and sat back onto the chair, awaiting her eventual reveal. He hummed loudly as he rustled around in the bag he'd brought, and waited a few minutes. And just as he'd expected, the girl stepped out from the dark, her dark eyes flicking from Clint to his bag.**

 **"Hey kiddo...I brought you some things." He approached the security chamber of her cell and opened it up before placing the food down on the table. He could feel her watching him, and made a point of eating one of everything, to prove they were untainted. Once he'd left her the selection of chips, cakes and candy, he secured the door, and sat back in his chair. He watched her slowly approach the chamber, sniffing and inspecting the food before she gave into her desire and began to eat.**

 **Clint smiled, mentally cheering at the small step they'd made. He stayed quiet, letting her eat in peace, but couldn't help his eyes from examining her. She seemed thinner and paler than when he'd last seen her. He could see that her features were much more prominent, and her clothes, which once fit comfortably, now hung from her body like sacs. No, she was much different.**

 **"What happened, Squirt?"**

 **The girl halted her eating and shifted in place, only glancing at him momentarily while placing down her food. "Left." she mumbled, nodding to him.**

 **Clint frowned, but nodded. "I left, yes. I had a mission."**

 **She shook her head, her brows knitting as if she was trying hard to remember something. "You left...Tash-Tasha gone," She looked to her fingers, before slowly looking up to Clint. "No protection."**

 **Clint stared at her, realisation coming to him as everything started to fit into place. Fury's warnings, Rumlow's injuries, the heightened security. He'd thought she'd lashed out again, but seeing her now, he knew that wasn't true, at least without cause. She had wrapped her arms around her small legs, her head resting against the cold glass as she looked over to him, her eyes now a soft brown as she showed the one bit of weakness he'd ever seen from her. She looked so small and vulnerable and he realised the weight of the whole situation.**

 **She was just a kid, and she was scared.**

 **"Was it Rumlow?" he wondered, slowly approaching the glass. He was amazed, however, when she didn't flinch away from his presence as he sat opposite her. She just nodded to him, finally returning to her food.**

 **Clint continued to watch her but he felt anger like he'd never experienced before as reality dawned on him; She was a kid with nothing, with no one, and she was locked away and submitted to whatever torment Rumlow could come up with when he or Natasha weren't there. He hated the guy as it was, but this just cemented him in his bad books.**

 **But he would leave Rumlow until later, because he was finally getting somewhere with the kid, and he wasn't about to jeopardise it. Sighing in frustration, Clint moved his fingers through his hair, ruffling it to calm himself down before he finally looked back to the girl who was watching him cautiously.**

 **"I promise you now, Squirt. I'll keep you safe from him. From everyone if I have to," he said firmly, more to himself than her.**

Kiara gazed out the window of the car, watching the streets and sights of Sao Paulo pass her by. Fury had been gracious enough to let her clean herself up and change her clothes before she was whipped away to god-knows where. In any other situation she would've been hyper alert to everything that was going on, but in that moment, she couldn't think about anything else but Clint. It had been so long since she'd last seen him, and while she hated SHIELD, she could never hate him. He had been so kind to her once upon a time, he'd kept her safe. She owed him this, even if her fate didn't hang in the balance. She didn't know much about what had led up to him being compromised, in fact she didn't know much about anything at the moment, but she knew that he needed saving. No matter the consequences.

"We're a few minutes out from the jet." Fury told her. Kiara jutted her chin in understanding but kept her eyes diverted. "So, how long have you been camped out here?"

Kiara scoffed, finally meeting his eyes. "Like you don't know."

"I don't." A ghost of a smirk appeared on his face, his single eye gleaming with amusement. "You kept off our radar for a long time. It took a while to find you."

"That was the plan," she muttered as she swung her arm over the middle headrest and gestured to the two of them. "And yet, here we are."

"Were you happy here?"

"I was away from you wasn't I?" Kiara smirked, but it dropped when she saw his serious expression. "Yes, if you must know...I was just another face. There was no reputation or curse that followed me. I didn't have to change or fight anymore. I thought I was free, but I guess I was naive to think so."

A flash of guilt passed Fury's eye before he cocked an eyebrow. "So you haven't been using your abilities?"

"They're about as subdued as I'll ever get them. Hence why these bullet wounds are taking their sweet time to heal." She shifted in her seat and winced at the sharp pain which spread across her chest. She wasn't as strong as she once was, and yet she could still take several bullets and survive. It was a terrible privilege that she wished she could live without.

"Will you still be able to track Barton?"

"Like I said, they're _subdued_ , not gone. I'll find him."

With a swift nod, the two fell into a tense silence as they continued the drive for the Quinjet. As expected, Fury had questions, but he knew better than to push her. She would tell him when she wanted to tell him, but her indifference to the situation worried him. She'd always been nonchalant to what he deemed 'critical' matters, but she seemed on a new level of unbothered. He knew she would fulfil what she'd agreed to do, but he wasn't sure whether it would be done in the speed it needed to be done, or whether she'd participate in the almost inevitable war which was to come.

They eventually made it to the Quinjet and were well on the way to the Helicarrier when Fury finally decided to speak to her again. He handed her a tablet and leant against the side of the jet. "This is everything we have on the Tesseract and everyone else onboard. I thought you might want to brush up on some of the finer details."

Kiara hummed in thanks as she tapped on the screen and instantly began scrolling through the files on the Tesseract. She fought eye-roll after eye-roll as she read the reports of the experiments on the Cube. She wasn't even slightly surprised that it had gone wrong, in fact, she'd expected it to happen a lot sooner.

"It levelled the entire facility and at least a mile surrounding it. Barton and I were there when Loki appeared."

Kiara listened and nodded. "That explains why you have such a strong trace of it on you."

Fury frowned. "Can you track it now?"

"No," she shook her head. "Because my powers are subdued, it takes a little more effort to track things. I'll need to be relatively still when I do, otherwise it'll just throw my senses off." She frowned deeply as she looked at the picture of Loki. He definitely didn't look like anyone from Earth; Despite the human features, he was otherworldly. He certainly looked like a God. "And what about Clint? How was he controlled?"

"Loki's sceptre. He just tapped it to his chest and he was under his command. I thought it might be linked to the Tesseract."

"Maybe," hummed Kiara. "They certainly seem to give off the same energy." She continued to read before letting out a breath. "This is a little intense for me."

"You gave me your word." Fury said sternly.

"I'm very aware, Nick! I'm not saying I won't do it, it's just...Gods and magic. It takes while to wrap your head around it all." She ran her fingers through her hair before continuing to look through the files. "Who else are you bringing in? It can't just be me..."

"I've arranged for Captain Rogers, Stark and Dr. Banner to join us in the search and capture of Loki." Kiara nodded along before freezing as she realised what he'd said.

"Captain Rogers? As in Steve Rogers? Captain America?" Fury nodded. "I thought he was dead? Like, seventy years dead."

"So did we." Fury chuckled. "A couple of guys found the jet submerged in ice a few months back. We managed to 'defrost' him and help him adjust to the world. Doesn't look like he's aged a day."

Kiara placed down the tablet and let the new information sink in. She knew he'd bring in the necessary people, but she'd never expected this. Experts and geniuses were one thing, but living legends were something else entirely.

"I know what you're thinking but they're just-"

"They're just heroes is what they are, Nick! You're going to put me in front of heroes!"

"Kiara-"

"Do they know anything about me?" she interrupted, her expression serious now. Fury shook his head. "Good, I want to keep it that way. I don't think Rogers would appreciate working with someone from HYDRA, neither would anyone else for that matter."

She kept running her fingers through her hair, a nervous tick she'd developed over the years. Fury stayed silent as he watched her pace, a deep frown marring her features. He couldn't help but notice the difference two years had made to her. The last time they'd seen each other, she'd been as fiery and stubborn as ever, arguing over some decision he'd made. The reason for the argument escaped him, but even then he'd known it was the last straw for her. She'd been a master at masking her true feelings, always pretending she was perfectly fine.

However, her deterioration hadn't gone unnoticed; Her dark skin was lighter than it should have been, and she was thinner, her eyes sullen. She'd become more and more irritable over mere months, clashing with anyone and everyone. She'd become a shell of a girl, and it had been his last memory of her. But now, well she looked like a whole new person. She looked healthy. He only hoped that she stayed that way. If her little rant had been anything to go on, she still wasn't too willing, nor pleased to be cooperating with her other-half. He just hoped she wouldn't clash with the others, otherwise there was no telling what would happen.

Kiara lost count of how long they'd been in the air. In some ways it seemed like it had been hours upon hours, but in other ways it seemed like a blink of an eye before they were landing on the strip of the Helicarrier.

The moment the ship had come into view, she'd been tense. She could spot dozens of people manning the runway and everything on it, with agents training or preparing for jets landing. It was busy and she didn't like it. She didn't like any of it. She didn't like the fact that she was back, or that she would have to work with people who were much better than her, and she absolutely hated the fact that her time was up; Whether she liked it or not, she would have to start the trace, meaning she would have to try and cooperate with perhaps the most difficult person on the face of the planet. Herself.

With a huff, Kiara blew a strand of her wild hair out of her eyes as she descended the stairs from the jet. She heard Fury mutter something about getting the ship in the air, but she wasn't paying much attention. She was too busy looking around the runway, her eyes guarded and cautious of those who bolted around her. God did she hate it.

"Well, well, well...Houdini returns." An amused voice came from behind her and Kiara couldn't help the soft chuckle which left her lips as she turned on her heel and faced the red-haired assassin she'd been fond of. "Never thought I'd see you round here again."

Kiara's eyebrows raised as she shoved her hands into her pockets. "Yeah, well...neither did I."

Natasha smirked at her uneasiness and folded her arms as she looked over the young girl. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you're back."

"Temporarily." Kiara corrected, still glancing around before her eyes landed on Natasha again. She didn't look much different, her hair had changed again, but that was about it. She still looked the same, and it certainly settled her to have a familiar face around. A friend.

"Right." Natasha nodded. "I'm surprised you agreed. What did Nick offer you?"

Kiara couldn't help but smile. She always knew. "My freedom. But I'm here for Clint." Kiara spotted the flash of worry in Natasha's eyes, and understood completely. "Is there any headway?"

"Nope. They're running face traces now. We're waiting on Dr. Banner and Captain Rogers, hopefully we'll get somewhere with you and the Doctor." Kiara nodded and let out a shaky breath. "It's all a bit much, isn't it?"

"You can say that again." she grumbled before spotting two incoming jets. "Banner and Rogers, I assume?"

"That's my cue." Natasha beamed at her before heading off. Kiara stayed back but watched as the first jet landed and the hold opened, revealing two men she definitely knew. She recognised Coulson instantly, but the second man...Well he knocked the air right out of her lungs. She'd seen pictures of him, of course, but they certainly didn't do him justice.

Captain Steve Rogers followed Coulson, a cautious expression on his handsome face. He easily towered over everyone by a good few inches and was built like a house. Even in the loose shirt he wore, she could see the bulge of his muscles under the fabric. He was so well presented and oozed a demand for respect that even she couldn't disregard. It was strange to see someone she'd only heard stories about, and it was even stranger to see who she was modelled after.

"Agent Romanoff. This is Captain Rogers." Kiara broke out of her reverie and her ears tuned into the conversation between the three.

Natasha greeted him before turning to Phil. "Fury wants you on the Bridge, they've started the face trace. Take Kiara with you."

Phil bid them goodbye before approaching her with the brightest smile she'd seen all day. He patted her shoulder before gesturing for her to lead. They began their walk and his quick peeks behind them certainly didn't go unnoticed. "Is he everything you hoped he'd be?"

Phil's head snapped towards her as she fought a laugh as he cleared his throat. "The journey with Captain Rogers was pleasant."

"Pleasant?" she guffawed. "You're still swooning! You can barely keep your eyes off him."

"You're funny." he shot back, earning a smirk from her, but he quickly changed the subject, not enjoying being the object of Kiara's teasing once again.

"Nice to see your face around here again. If anyone can find the Cube, it's you."

Kiara let out a sigh. "I hope you're right."

 **A/N: Sorry! I know it's been a while! I had no motivation to write, but I've been planning a lot to compensate so that should save time in the future. The Winter Soldier plan is DONE! So I just need to finish Iron Man 3 and it should flow nicely! I hope everyone is well!**

 _Edited: 02/02/2019_


	4. Chapter 3 - Blessed Curse

She should've expected it, really. Fury had told her that the situation was serious but she'd taken that statement with a pinch of salt. The world was constantly in danger, so much so that she could probably count how many times the world was actually safe on one hand. That being said, she finally realised the severity of the situation when she arrived at the Bridge and saw every station being manned by someone. She couldn't keep up with anything as it seemed like everyone was talking or tapping away at their computers, pictures of Clint and Loki on every screen.

She watched as they combed through anything with a camera in search of the two but it didn't look like they were coming up with anything. With a frown, she approached Fury who turned when she stopped by his side. "So... 'The world is at risk'."

"I'm glad you've caught on, Monroe." He smirked at her, barely fazed by the hard glare she sent him. "We're coming up with nothing. We've got eyes on everything but it's still not enough. Do you think you'll be able to track the Cube from here?"

She gave him a firm nod. "Yeah, it's still enough for me to try at least. I'll get to it, it might save you some time."

Fury gave her a nod of thanks and turned away from her as she approached the table. It wasn't as quiet as she'd like it to be but it was as good as it was going to get, so she plopped herself down on a chair, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Like so many times in the past, she blocked out all the noise until all was silent. She knew the trace of the Cube, it was so strong that it was like a neon light to her, but she hadn't used her abilities in so long, and she couldn't deny that it was taking a little longer to get the engines going.

She pushed as hard as she could to wake up her senses, only focusing on the Cube. The glowing blue light that the trace omitted, or the sheer power she could feel, just from the small amount she'd sensed on Fury. It was unlike anything she'd ever come across and its power seemed limitless which certainly helped when she finally made a breakthrough.

But the moment she did, pain hit her like a truck and she fought the urge to stop right then and there, but she knew that she could lose the chance of finding it if she gave up, so she pushed through the pain. She tried to ignore the tightness and the millions of tiny pinpricks on her brain, and focused as she finally broke through her own walls.

Like a map in her mind, billions upon billions of traces appeared before her eyes, showing anyone and anything with a life force. The mass invasion was enough to make her feel like her head was exploding, but as she focused on the Cube to follow its trace, she was truly close to giving up. The pain was excruciating and she couldn't fight the tears that trickled down her chin as it felt as though someone had set fire to every nerve ending and stabbed a thousand knives into her skull.

Her resolve was starting to fade, but she was finally getting somewhere. Like the brightest light, the glowing blue stood out above everything else. It wasn't a straight line, but there were just odd specs here and there, differing is strength and size in certain areas. The biggest patch was in the Mojave Desert, where the SHIELD facility was once stood. That's where the trace begins, and she could see it popping all over, but from what she could tell, the trace was headed East.

It was enough, she knew that, but she needed a definite location to please Fury, and she was prepared to push harder, but a strong hand landed on her shoulder making her eyes fly open with shock. She let out a sharp gasp and shot away from the person who'd touched her. Her eyes were bleary and her head was pounding so much that she gripped it, trying all she could to ease the pain and come back to her senses.

When the pain lessened and her eyes cleared, she stumbled a little but was grabbed by her shoulders, keeping her upright. She frowned, staring at a checkered shirt in front of her face, before her eyes drifted up to wide shoulders, then a thick, pale neck, pink lips, and then the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Her breath caught in her throat when she realised exactly who it was. Steve Rogers was right in front of her.

In truth, she'd hoped to avoid him as much as possible, not wanting to get in his way, but clearly it hadn't worked out in her favour. She frowned and craned her neck to meet his eyes, to which she saw nothing but concern, before she noticed that his lips were moving. Oh, he was talking. How long had he been talking?

She shook her head and pulled herself together as she stepped out of his grasp. "Sorry...What were you saying?"

"Are you alright?" he repeated, his eyebrows knitted together in a frown. "You've been like that for an hour."

"An hour?" Her eyebrows shot up before placing a hand to her burning forehead. "Yeah." She blurted out, running her hand over her face only to find it wet. She'd been crying? Steve watched her expression change from confusion to embarrassment as she wiped away her tears. "No, yeah, I'm-I'm fine. Thanks."

Steve didn't seem convinced, but let it be as he held out his hand. "Steve Rogers."

"Kiara." she replied, giving his hand a firm shake before glancing around. It didn't look like they'd made any progress. "Have we found anything?"

"I'm sorry, are you lost?"

Kiara cocked an eyebrow as she looked around once again. She was still on the Bridge. "No...Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just...aren't you a little young to be here?" A pink tinge came to Steve's cheeks but she just stared at him with a dumbfounded expression. Was he serious?

"I'm tracking the cube. Just like everyone else. I'm right where I need to be, Captain." She kept her voice levelled, trying her best to be as polite as she could be.

"Tracking it?" Steve reiterated, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "What could you do? You look barely 20."

The more he spoke, the more irritated she became. She knew she didn't exactly look like much, but she was older than most people pinned her for, thanks to HYDRA, and she didn't need anyone questioning her capabilities. It had been a while since she'd used her powers, yes, but she wasn't useless.

"Not that it's any of your business, _Captain,_ " she snapped, a flash of red passing her eyes as she clenched her fists. "but I'm here because Fury needed me here. And I'm perfectly capable of doing my job, thank you very much."

"Down, Monroe." Fury teased as he approached the two, ignoring Kiara's venomous glare. "Is there a problem here?"

Kiara folded her arms and glared at Steve, waiting for him to explain himself. "She's a kid. Why would you put her in danger like this?"

"I can assure you, Captain. She's more capable than she looks." Kiara's glare once again found Fury. "She's the best chance we have at finding the Cube."

Steve spluttered in disbelief as he looked between Kiara and Fury with wide eyes. "I'm sorry...we're leaving the fate of the world to a- to a twelve year old?"

"Are you kidding? My age is none of your business, ass!" She snapped before wincing at the sharp pain in her eyes. God she wished everyone would stop getting on her last nerve today.

"Be civil, Monroe."

"I'm being perfectly fucking civil!" Kiara snarled, looking back at Fury who was now alone, Steve nowhere to be seen. "I just don't like being treated like a child!"

Fury shook his head before clasping his hands behind his back. "Did you get anything?"

"It's heading East. It definitely passed Spain from what I could tell." she grumbled as the hairs on the back of her neck raised from irritation. She ignored Fury as he ordered the Agents to narrow their field. She kept rubbing her eyes, trying to settle herself down before she put herself through more pain.

"He's only been awake for a few weeks, Monroe. You aren't exactly normal. He's out of his depth." Fury defended, making her freeze. There goes her idea of settled.

She shot him a hard look. "Thanks for that."

"My point, is that you're something he hasn't seen before. You take a little getting used to."

"Thank you again for your input."

He simply shrugged as he leant against one of the chairs around the table. "Dr. Banner is in his lab. He's looking for the cube too, your narrowed field will help him."

"I guess I'll pay him a visit, then."

It wasn't difficult to find the lab with every Helicarrier being exactly the same. She had to admit that even in the short few years she'd been away, they'd updated the labs once again with the best tech available.

She stayed outside the room for a few moments when she spotted Dr. Banner pottering around inside. He was a timid sort of man. Even when he was alone, he looked almost cautious to do anything. Everything about him screamed harmless, but she knew better than that. If she made one wrong move, she would be faced with a monster. She understood him in that way, they both looked harmless enough at first glance, but the truth was much more ugly. 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' came to mind. But regardless of what the man was, or could be, he was the only other person on the boat that could help her with the Cube.

So, with a gentle knock, Kiara sent the man a soft smile when he turned to her. He looked surprised by her appearance but gestured for her to come in. She entered, her nose twitching as the sterile smell hit her nose.

"Hello, can I help you?" he wondered, fiddling with his hands. She cocked an eyebrow and hummed. Nervous tick.

"Sorry, I didn't get a chance to meet you earlier. I'm Kiara. I'm helping to find the Cube."

"Bruce Banner." They shook hands and fell into an awkward silence before she sat on one of the tables.

"So, Dr. Banner. I managed to locate the Cube heading East. It's passed Spain. I know it's not as small as we need it to be, but it's the best I've got right now." She shrugged apologetically, but he just stared at her for a few moments before jumping into action.

"Great! That's perfect." He started tapping away at the screen while Kiara glanced around the lab. She took in the feel of it, but felt completely out of place. She didn't know the first thing about science, and she was perfectly fine with that. It always seemed too confusing and difficult for her to bother trying to learn, so it was one of the many things she was content with being ignorant to.

"So, um-" started Bruce as he pushed away from the screen. "how come you're here?"

She sucked in a breath, really not wanting to have another discussion about her reason for being there. "Fury needed me to find the Cube."

Bruce eyed her cautiously. "Are you, you know...normal?"

Kiara snorted and leaned back against her hands. "Define normal."

"Ah," he chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you human, I mean?"

"Yeah." She shrugged before a bitter look in her eyes. "Well, no. Not entirely. Not anymore."

"Oh." he hummed before moving around the lab. "So, you have gifts?"

Kiara couldn't help the bitter smile that came to her face. "Some would call it that, I suppose...They would call it a gift. I would prefer to call it a curse."

Bruce peered at her over his glasses, amusement shining in his dark eyes. "Not too fond of them, then." He chuckled and leant against the table beside her. She shook her head. "A blessed curse, then?"

"Something like that." she laughed and turned towards him. "It's a nice way of putting it."

The two smiled at one another before he continued with his work. Kiara liked him, he was nice enough, and he didn't push. It wasn't often that she came across people like that. The moment they find out she is different, they're full of questions and pry into everything she wishes to be private. It was beyond annoying, and for the first time that day, she found herself relaxed in the company of a stranger.

"I need to try and get a more accurate location on the Cube and I work better when it's quiet. Is it alright if I work in here?" she wondered hopefully.

"Oh," Bruce's eyebrows shot up and he stood up straight. "Yes, of course! Here, I'll move some things."

"No need." Kiara shook her head as she passed him and pulled out a chair. "This is all I'll need. Thanks, Doc."

He smiled awkwardly and left her alone to go back to her work. Settling down, Kiara closed her eyes once more and prepared herself for the coming onslaught of pain. Just like before, it hit her like a truck the moment she pushed against the mental wall she'd built. It was nothing but irritating, but it had been necessary at the time, besides, she was only going to be needing to track the Cube for a little while longer if she could provide a definite location.

With that glimmer of hope, Kiara ignored the pain that wracked through her head. She saw the same glowing blue light and despite how much it hurt, she pushed harder and harder before she saw the same trail as before. She'd lost it at Spain, so that was where she start from. The pain became more and more excruciating but she could see that she was close. So she followed the strength of the Tesseract, the blue glow popping up across nearly the entirety of the west of Europe, but it stopped in Germany. She scoured around it, but the trace had gone no further than Germany, stopping in the South West.

The moment she got a pinpoint on it, several sharp pains shot into her brain and she almost slipped, but she had to keep pushing, she was so close. She saw Frankfurt, she saw Nuremberg, and then she saw him. Clint looked so different, and so weak. His eyes were glowing the same blue as the Tesseract, but his skin was deathly pale and she would recognise the dark circles anywhere. He looked exhausted, and yet he seemed as strong as ever.

It was as though she was stood right there with him. She couldn't tell exactly where they were, but they were definitely underground. There were several armed men making rounds, and then there was Dr. Selvig. He looked much like Clint, and Fury had mentioned that Loki had taken him too. He was working on something, some sort of framework, but she couldn't make out exactly what it was. She would've taken more time to take notice of where they were, but she had her eyes on the prize; The Tesseract stood proudly, glowing brightly and exuding a power that took her breath away. The trace of it didn't do its sheer power justice, but she had found 2/3, so now she just needed Loki and a location and they'd be well on their way.

Kiara tore her eyes away from the Tesseract and looked back to Selvig and Clint, they were talking, that much she could tell. The latter had a tablet in his hands, tapping away and focusing on whatever was on the screen before he flipped the tablet and she could now see what they were after. Iridium. In the possession of one Dr. Heinrich Schäfer. She frowned, trying her best to make sense of the situation, but before she could dwell on it any longer, she saw the man of the moment approaching.

Loki was even more divine in person. He easily towered over her, his straggly black hair framing his head like a cloud of smoke. His clothes looked like they'd been taken straight out of a costume drama, the green and black tunic fitted perfectly to his lean body. Her eyes trailed up to his face and he was certainly much more than a mere human, and it felt as though his emerald eyes were piercing into hers, like he knew she was there.

She sucked in a breath, simply staring at him, fearing to move. He just kept staring before turning to Clint. "What did it show you, Agent Barton?"

Kiara let out a shaky breath as he walked away from her. She focused once more on Clint who had walked over to a table, his bow laid within its case. "My next target."

Kiara let out a strangled cry as the pain came back with full force. She lost focus on the location, the trace of all of them slipping through her fingers as everything went dark. Her eyes flew open and she recognised Bruce standing before her, but he looked more like a blur than an actual person. She gripped the table to keep steady as her vision varied from blurry to clear. She shook her head hard, wincing as it did nothing for her but enhance the pain, but sorted her vision. Bruce looked utterly helpless as he wrung his hangs, panic and worry marring his features.

She panted, her mind working faster than she could keep up before she pushed herself up and grabbed Bruce. "Heinrich Schäfer. That's who they're going after! Dr Heinrich Schäfer." She shoved Bruce towards the computer, fighting the nausea that brewed in her stomach. Her head was throbbing like someone had played baseball with her brain, but she couldn't let it get to her.

"Um, he's a German scientist." Bruce read out, searching through the several articles that he'd found. "He works at the Department of Nuclear Science and Technology."

"Is-Is there anything else? Has he done anything recently? Is he making any appearances soon?"

"He's, er, he's a key speaker at a Gala tonight."

"Where?"

"Stuttgart."

 _Edited: 02/02/2019_


	5. Chapter 4 - Stuttgart

"Fury!"

Kiara burst through the doors with Bruce hurrying after her. The guards tried to stop her but she shoved them out of her way and marched up to Fury who looked less than pleased with her entrance.

"What's the problem?"

"They're in Stuttgart." she said seriously, gaining the attention of everyone who heard her. "I saw them. Loki, Clint, Selvig, the Tesseract. They need Dr. Heinrich Schäfer for Iridium."

"It's true," Bruce spoke up, standing a little bit away from Kiara but nodding all the same. "He's a key speaker at a gala tonight. We think they'll try and take him there."

"We need to go now otherwise him and everyone else there will be in danger." Kiara pressed, waiting for Fury's permission to go ahead.

"Hold on!" Steve cut in making Kiara's jaw clench. "We can't just jump the gun. We have no idea where the Cube or Loki is. We haven't picked up a trace of him anywhere. We should wait until we have irrefutable proof."

"This is proof." gritted out Kiara, doing her very best to be polite. "I have _never_ been wrong. Loki and the others are in Stuttgart with the Cube, and that Doctor will be in danger if we don't get there pronto."

Steve was starting to grind on her last nerves with his undermining of her. She knew she was younger than him, but she herself and her abilities, she knew what she saw, and she'd never been wrong before. It was no secret that she wanted to be anywhere but there, but when presented with a potential threat, she couldn't ignore it. No matter how much she wished she could.

"I won't take the word of a child, I'm sorry. I know you think you're doing good, but we can't go by word on this one. It's too important." Steve said, giving her a genuine, apologetic look, which only irritated her more. Kiara's eyes flared as she stepped towards Steve but was stopped by Fury who tugged her away from the super soldier.

"If Captain Rogers-" she spat his name. "doesn't want to do it, send me in. You know I can handle it and I know I'm right."

Fury went to reply but was interrupted by one of the agents. "We've got a hit. 67% match. No, crossmatch - 79%."

"Location?" asked Phil, approaching the agent.

"Stuttgart, Germany." Kiara threw her hands up while Steve looked aghast. "He's not exactly hiding."

"Captain." Fury said, gaining Steve's attention. "You're up. Take Monroe with you."

Kiara had never been one to brag. She found it arrogant and unnecessary, but when she saw Steve sat opposite her with a troubled expression on his face, it was too sweet of a moment to pass up.

"So...Stuttgart? Crazy. Who could've seen that coming? Oh wait...Me. I did. You remember when I was telling you that they were in Stuttgart? Do you remember that?"

Steve let out a long sigh before glancing over at her, an eyebrow raised. "How _did_ you know?"

"I told you, I track things." she said, standing.

"Is that the only thing you can do?"

"The only thing that matters." she stated, folding her arms. "Look, I'm only here to find the Tesseract, Clint, and Loki and I've succeeded. All I need to do is get them all in SHIELD's custody, and I'm done. So, I would appreciate it if you didn't interfere again."

She gave him a cold smile before heading to the back of the jet to arm herself with whatever they had available. She needed to do anything to distract her from whatever they were about to walk into. The closer they got to Germany, the more powerful she felt the Tesseract become and it left a bad taste in her mouth. She had no doubt that Steve could subdue Loki should it end in a fight, so she was left to find Clint and the Tesseract, but she wasn't stupid; She knew that the Tesseract would be heavily guarded, but they could be easily beaten. Clint would be her biggest opponent despite her knowledge of his tactics. She knew Clint, but she didn't know what Loki had done to him. She would have to have her wits about her, but she could still get the drop on him.

With a deep sigh, Kiara checked the clip on her gun before going to slip it into her holster, but was interrupted by Steve. "What do you think you're doing?"

She turned on her heel and saw him stood a few feet away, his shield in hand and his eyes trained on the gun in her own. She raised an eyebrow, looking between him and the gun in faux confusion. "You know, I'm not too sure...I _think_ I came over here for some peace and quiet, but I've never been too good at guessing games."

"This isn't funny." snapped Steve, his expression showing no hint of amusement. "You're just a kid. You shouldn't be playing with guns. Do you even know how to use it?"

Kiara's nostrils flares at his tone before she lifted the gun, pointing it straight at him. Steve immediately covered himself with his shield and she let off three shots, each of them hitting the star in the centre of his shield. She smirked before shrugging. "Huh, guess I do."

Natasha started shouting about firing inside the jet, which Kiara brushed off with a scoff as Steve's head popped up from behind the shield, his eyes wide as he tried to comprehend what she'd just done. She wordlessly grabbed another two guns, securing them in their holsters before going to sit down. Steve flipped the shield, inspecting the damage she'd caused on it; Three distinct marks now marring the paintwork, joining the ones that had been made almost seventy years prior, and he couldn't but laugh in disbelief.

"Alright, we're approaching the gala. Looks like he's got hostages." Natasha commented, her eyes scanning the scene before her. Steve grabbed his shield, and Kiara approached the door, ready to take her leave, but Steve caught her arm before she could.

"You're not going." he said finally, making her growl loudly.

"I swear to God, I will shoot at you again! And this time I'll hit my intended target!" she hissed, making him cock an eyebrow as he stared down at her.

"I need you to have my back if something goes wrong. That takes precedence."

Kiara's eye twitched as she reached for her gun, but she was stopped by Natasha. "Enough! You need to get out there now, otherwise this will take an ugly turn!"

Steve gave her nod before shooting Kiara a look as he jumped from the jet, leaving Kiara stood there like a moron. She had half a mind to ignore his demands and just do what she'd originally intended to do, but as she took in the situation, she realised that there were too many people at risk for her to walk away now. There was a crowd of scared, kneeling civilians, and they were all surrounded by the same person; Loki.

She didn't know how he did it, but there were many of him, and she couldn't be exactly sure which one was the real one. But she reckoned the best guess would be the one that just tried to kill Steve. If she thought he looked otherworldly before, she couldn't describe what he looked like now; Once donning a tunic, he was now stood in glowing gold and emerald armour which included a very sharp, horned helmet upon his head. But she didn't care about any of that. No, her interest was now on the sceptre in his hand.

It gave off the same power as the Tesseract, but it wasn't the same. That she could tell. It was in the reports that he'd used that very sceptre to control Clint and Selvig, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, which made her nothing more than curious of its properties.

"Loki. Drop the weapon and stand down." ordered Natasha, training the jets guns onto him. Unfortunately, Loki didn't seem to want to go quietly as he took a shot at them, forcing Natasha to take a sharp turn. Kiara gripped one of the overhead handles to stop herself from falling before dropping securely to her feet once they levelled out. "Hey Kiara! Now might be a good time for backup."

Kiara frowned, looking between Natasha, Loki, and the frightened people before before taking a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and focused, trying as best she could to ignore the pain that burned through her entire body as she launched herself out of the jet. It felt like every part of her body had been set alight and the crack of her bones as they shifted into place had her fighting a cry. Her shoulders rolled into her back and she felt every limb elongating and snapping to readjust to their desired position. Tears burned in her eyes and she let out a shout but the sound came out as more of a howl. Her eyes snapped open before she landed weakly on four paws. A jet black wolf now stood in her place, its eyes burning red and its lips pulled up into a vicious snarl. Kiara took a moment to get reaccustomed to the feeling, before she focused on Steve and Loki, the former being at the God's mercy.

She sprinted towards them, feeling the power coming back into her limbs, and Loki barely got a glance at her before she pounced on him, forcing him to the floor. She stood on his chest, her face millimetres from his as she snapped her sharp teeth viciously making his eyes bug for a moment before a cruel smile painted his face. "Ah," he purred, "the girl I've heard so much about."

He kicked her off him but she pressed her claws into the ground as she skidded to a stop beside Steve, only to dodge a blast as Steve launched his shield at him, knocking the sceptre out of his hands. With Loki disarmed, Kiara pounced again, sinking her teeth into his shoulder, managing to rip a piece of armour off. She went for his neck, but before her teeth could meet his flesh, he disappeared from under her. She frowned before turning around, only just managing to dodge a kick as she transformed back into her human form, glaring at Loki with nothing but fire in her eyes as Steve went hand-to-hand with him.

Her eyes began to burn as her hair ignited with fire. It felt as though trickles of flames were replacing the blood in her veins and the pain became more like ecstasy, the pure power enveloping her as she focused on her target. She sprinted towards Loki, sliding under Steve as he was knocked back before catching the sceptre in her hand as Loki swung it towards her. They looked at each other and Kiara shot him a wolfish grin as she tightened her grip, the fire beginning to creep into her hands and along the metal. It was mere seconds before Loki recoiled with a hiss, giving Kiara control over it. She flipped it in her hands and hit him hard across the face with the butt of the sceptre before shooting a ball of fire at him. It hit him hard in the chest and sent him flying back against the museum steps.

Kiara was lost in her anger that she hadn't noticed someone else had appeared before another blast was shot at Loki, keeping him down, and finally stopping him. She watched as his armoured form changed back into that she'd seen before as he held his hands up in surrender, his eyes darted between those stood before him. Huffing, Kiara turned and was met with the sight of Iron Man, with a whole arsenal of firearms coming out of his suit. They just stared at each other before Tony Stark finally spoke.

"And what the hell are you?"

Kiara did nothing but clench her jaw as her eyes faded back to their natural colour and the flames licking at her hair dissipated. She rubbed her eyes as they stung with irritation, the pain only being a fraction of what was happening in the rest of her body. But she still had to finish what they'd come there to do, so she approached Loki who eyed her cautiously, and pulled him up while keeping his sceptre gripped tight in her other hand.

"You're being a little rough." he murmured. In seconds, Kiara had twisted his arm, forcing him to his knees and knocked the wind out of him with a quick punch. Irritated, and in immense pain, Kiara had little time for the God, so she simply gripped him by the collar of his tunic and dragged him to the jet. Loki seemed to get the message and stayed quiet, but he took notice of her quivering frame and reddening eyes, curiosity and amusement shining in his own.

Kiara saw a mere glance of Natasha as she threw Loki to the floor, letting her and the others deal with him. She stumbled slightly, the weight of her decision coming down hard on her now. She'd had no choice, and she did the right thing, she knew that, but God was she angry. She was so, so angry. She'd gone years without having to transform or use her powers, and she'd managed to do both in a single day. She put herself through incalculable amounts of pain just to find Loki and help Fury. It almost didn't seem worth it.

She snarled and stumbled to her knees as the pain came crushing down on her. It felt as though she was forcing her body through every transformation and every use of her terrible abilities, and she couldn't stop it, because she'd made her decision. The cells she'd kept dormant for so long had been abruptly activated. Her cells were mutating and changing with every second, forcing her body to adjust to the possibility of a change at any moment. She hunched over, fighting a scream as hot tears poured from her eyes and her stomach churned with nausea.

It felt like the very first time she'd ever changed; the snapping of every bone, the pulling and the shifting, and the fire. It was excruciating and she couldn't fight the blood-curdling scream that came from her. She cried hard, sobbing for it to end, and it came as a horrific sight to Steve and Tony who were watching with bugged eyes. Steve was the first to approach, gently pressing his hand to her quivering shoulder.

"DON'T!" Her voice came as a growl as she flinched away from him, swiftly emptying her stomach on the ground before clawing at her chest and hair. She cried and cried, praying for it to stop, and then it did.

As if nothing had happened, the pain left her as quickly as it came, leaving her panting and trembling. The pain had faded, but everything she had fought so hard to keep locked away was awake and raring to go. Every sense was heightened; She could see better, hear better, smell better. The fiery power once again surged through her veins like shots of electricity, and it did nothing but make her anger spike. It was the feeling she hated most of all; The strength, the feeling of indestructibility. It was unnatural, and it was only a reminder of the monster inside, constantly clawing to get out, desperate to fulfil its mission.

She sucked in a shaky breath as she wiped her face before grabbing a strand of her hair and let out a quiet sob when she saw the glowing white it had now changed to. She quickly brushed it away from her face and pushed herself to her feet, trying to ignore the stares as she made her way to the jet. As she reached the door, she took a sharp breath and hopped inside, instantly met with the sight of Loki strapped into his seat like a child.

She barely spared him a glance as she made her way to Natasha, but as she passed him, he let let out a cold laugh which had her teeth bared and the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. "Ah, there she is." he jibed, his green eyes gleaming with mirth. "That's the Enyo I've been dying to meet."

Kiara froze at the name, her temper skyrocketing within seconds. She launched herself at him, but Steve caught her before her nails could even ghost across his neck. Loki chortled loudly as Steve hauled her away, blocking her between himself and Tony who merely looked amused.

"Hey... HEY! Calm down! We need him alive." Steve whispered sharply, stopping her from barging past them.

"I don't! He's a little shit-!" she snapped, her eyes flashing red.

"Stop." Steve said firmly. "Ladies shouldn't curse."

"Oh, get fucked, Rogers! I look like a lady to you?" She shoved herself away from Steve who spluttered with shock, looking like she'd slapped him. She puffed out a breath and brushed down her clothes before glancing at Tony, giving him a short, polite nod. "Mr. Stark."

Tony looked between her and Steve, his lips twitching as he fought a laugh "Hey kid. Nice fighting back there. You got a name?"

"Kiara Monroe." she replied, looking up at the man.

"Monroe, huh? Never heard of you."

"Good." she replied shortly. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

She moved past them and into the cockpit, plopping herself down into the co-pilot seat beside Natasha who had to take a double glance. "New hair?"

Kiara merely grunted as she sat quietly, trying to focus on finding Clint and the Tesseract, now not even sure that they were still in the country, let alone the city. She wanted to find them and just leave as soon as possible; She was far too involved in the whole thing now. Loki clearly knew who she was, and now her powers were active, again. She needed to finish what she was there to do and get away from SHIELD so she could go back to living a relatively normal life.

Closing her eyes, she forced herself to try and locate anything. She kept trying and trying, but came up with nothing more than blanks. She couldn't understand what was blocking her, she knew the trace of both the Tesseract and Clint, but she couldn't seem to push past her own mind. She was seething. She went through all that pain and change for enhancements, and the one thing she needed didn't work.

She slammed her fist on the arm of her chair as she opened her eyes, barely gaining a reaction out of Natasha who was focused on getting them to the Helicarrier. Running her fingers through her newly coloured hair, Kiara rested her head back against the chair, telling herself that after either a nap or about a gallon of caffeine, she might function a little better. Deciding that a nap was both the healthier and easier option for the moment, she tried tuning everyone out so she could get a few winks of sleep. Unfortunately, life had decided to give her a stunning finale to her day, and her peace was ruined.

Thunder rumbled through the air making her eyes shoot open, just catching the lightening which crackled throughout the sky, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. She jumped to her feet and narrowed her eyes as she stared out of the window, confused by the sudden change of weather before she heard a loud thump above them. Something was on top of the jet.

As she entered the cabin, she saw Steve and Tony glancing up, seeming to have come to the same conclusion as they armed themselves. Tony opened the door of the jet, and a mountain of a man entered. Kiara immediately recognised him as Thor, Loki's Brother, and the God of Thunder. He flung his hammer into Tony's chest, knocking him back into both herself and Steve who instantly hit the deck from the weight of the metal suit. Kiara just managed to spot Thor grab Loki from his seat and fly out of the jet. She let out a long, guttural groan, unable to believe that after the day she'd already had, this was the turn it was going to take.

"Another Asgardian?" shouted Natasha as she tried to regain control of the jet.

"Thor." Kiara muttered, shaking her head as she pushed herself up as Tony finally regained his footing.

"Those guys are friendly?" asked Steve, straightening himself up also.

"It doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract is lost." Tony said, heading to the door to go after Thor.

"I mean- I could still..." Kiara started, only to be drowned out by Steve.

"We need a plan of attack!"

"I have a plan." stated Tony. "Attack."

And with that, Tony flew out of the jet to retrieve Loki. Kiara stared for a few moments before shaking her head defiantly and sat down, satisfied in watching Steve have an inner battle with himself, before finally deciding on following Tony, ignoring Natasha's very wise suggestion to sit it out. The two women watched him put on his parachute, and swiftly leave the jet the same way as Tony and Thor.

More than happy to stay out of it, Kiara kicked her feet up onto the other seats, content in the knowledge that between Iron Man and Captain America, Loki would be, unfortunately, safely returned to the jet. However, Natasha didn't seem to share her faith, and simply stared at her expectantly.

"What?" Natasha cocked an eyebrow and gestured obviously to the jet door. Scoffing, Kiara shook her head. "No way. I'm not getting involved in that."

"You're already involved, Ki." said Natasha. "Besides, you promised to get Loki, the Tesseract, and Clint. And you've just lost Loki."

Kiara rolled her eyes dramatically, wishing she could throttle herself for her stupid promise, but relented to Natasha's persuasion regardless. She pushed herself up from her seat and walked to the door, the wind making her hair fly around her head before she transformed into an eagle, the discomfort a little less this time, and shot out of the jet. She soared through the air, following the sound of fighting not too far away. She immediately spotted Tony and Thor battling it out in the middle of the forest, with Steve coming in after them. Knowing they had Thor covered, Kiara searched for Loki, and was surprised to discover him sat upon a cliff, watching the fight below him like it was a battle of gladiators. All he was missing was a bucket of popcorn and a soda. He hadn't even attempted to escape.

She approached the cliff and transformed mid-air, landing safely next to Loki who simply glanced at her. "I wondered when you would come. Not interested in the fight?" He cocked his head, his eyes piercing into hers. "Strange. I thought you would've jumped at the chance to maul something."

Snarling, Kiara's hand was around Loki's neck within a second and slamming him against the cliff wall. "I don't know what you think you know, but I'm not the one killing for fun!"

Loki chuckled, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm not sure that's quite true...How many lives have you claimed over the years? How many people have died by your hand? How much blood have you spilt, hm? And yet, here you are, making play you're a hero. That you're any better than I." Kiara stared at him fiercely, trying with all her might stay calm and not kill him, but she could feel the heat starting to creep its way to the surface. "You're entire life is pretence. You're no human. You cannot walk freely amongst them when it's in your nature to slaughter them on command!"

Kiara couldn't fight the flames that began to swirl in her eyes as she trembled, her grip becoming tighter on Loki's neck. He gasped out as his airflow became more constricted, but didn't halt his teasing. "I wonder..." he hummed. "Do you remember any of them? All the families? All the children? Do you remember little Lorelei? Hearing her screaming and pleading for you to spare her life?" Loki smirked at her. "Do you remember the look on her face when you ripped out her throat?"

Kiara glared before smirking as she slammed his head back against the rock, the force knocking him out immediately. She let go of his neck, letting him fall limply as she leaned back against the cliff and waited for Natasha to land nearby. Despite it being incredibly pleasing to see him motionless, easily beaten by her, she couldn't pretend that his words hadn't gotten to her, she couldn't lie to herself. Loki had managed to crawl his way into her head and force her to remember. He'd gotten under her skin.

 **A/N: How are you liking it so far? I hope you're enjoying it. Anyways, thank you for the reads I've had, and the reviews, I appreciate it very much. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged, so please leave some! Thank you! x**

 _Edited: 02/02/2019_


	6. Chapter 5 - Troubled Conscience

**A/N: This is a warning for the first part of this chapter. It contains triggering themes. It's very violent, so you can skip it if you like. It ends when the italics do, so you can start there if it's better, it's no problem. With that said, enjoy.**

 **SIBERIA, 1997**

 _Bloodcurdling screams pierced the air as thousands of volts were shot into the young girl's body. She was so small at the age of fourteen, her petite body looking even smaller in the giant chair she was confined to. Her scrawny arms were locked into a metal vice that creaked at her every attempt to escape them while her head was encased by a helmet which shot thousands of volts through her body. Letting out another pained scream, she arched her back and tugged harshly at her restraints as the shocks made every vein feel as though they were about to burst. The pain was indescribable as she pulled harder and harder against the restraints, trying with all her might to escape the pain, but she was left incapacitated as Sokolov increased the voltage, making her convulse on the chair._

 _It felt as though she couldn't breathe, as though she were being suffocated as thousands of hooks tore her skin from her body. All she could do was pray for death, wish that every shock would be too much for her to bare and her body would just give up, but she wasn't so lucky as to have that choice._

 _As Sokolov turned down the dial on the control board, she gasped for breath, her chest heaving to fill her lungs with air. The panic and the fear started to rise in her throat and bubbled out as sobs as the pain still didn't subside, even after the shocks had stopped. She glanced down at her arms and let out a disgusted wail. Every bit of her skin was burnt and blistered. Her body was desperately fighting to heal itself, but every time it would get anywhere, Sokolov would turn the dial, and she'd go right back to where she started._

 _"Now, Little Wolf, you know why we have to do this, don't you?" Valcov hummed as he trailed his finger over her cheek making her flinch away. "You don't comply without those trigger words. I need you better than that. I need you stronger than that!" The girl simply stared at him, her eyes glossy as she flinched every time he moved. "Will you do as we say?"_

 _The girl glanced between Valcov and Sokolov. They were waiting expectantly, their gaze hopeful. For a moment, they almost looked kind. Almost. Of course, that all changed the moment she shook her head. Within seconds, the girl's head snapped to the side, the slap stinging her cheek. Valcov's eyes were full of madness as he paced in front of her before slamming her head back against the metal._

 _"Give her the highest voltage."_

 _"Sir?"_

 _"I SAID GIVE HER THE HIGHEST VOLTAGE!" Valcov gripped her throat, his eyes alight with anger as he sneered at the child before him. "You'll kill them. Whether you like it or not. You'll kill them all!"_

 _He stepped back, smirking as Sokolov turned up the dials and let her scream at the top of her lungs. His eyes gleamed as he watched her shake and thrash._

 _"Альфа. кровь. пуля."_

 _The moment he spoke the words, she became erratic trying to fight both the pain and the change. Her bones cracked and snapped while the black of her hair faded to white, her soft brown eyes becoming glowing red orbs in her skull._

 _"волк. Огонь. черный."_

 _With a final scream, she tore her arms from the vice and ripped the helmet off her head, eventually collapsing to her knees as her body fought to heal. She hunched over and panted hard, the heat beginning to creep up her body and ignite her every nerve. The power was surging, and she had every chance to escape them right then, but she was losing herself. Her consciousness was slipping into nothing but black. She couldn't fight anymore, she couldn't yell or cry, she just waited for him to finish it._

 _"Enyo."_

 _The smell of death and smoke filled the air of the town of Bacharach as Enyo walked down the burning streets, followed by two other assets. They were tracking their target, and Enyo could sense they were close, but she couldn't see them, nor could she identify them in any of the surrounding buildings. She tried to narrow down the location, but she was interrupted by a gunshot, the bullet going straight through her side. She glanced down at the healing wound before her head snapped up._

 _"Keep on looking. I'll deal with this one." she hissed to the other assets, her eyes boring into those of a man who looked at her in utter horror as she started towards him, a nasty snarl creeping onto her face._

 _The man ran into his house and locked the door behind him, but it only enticed her more. She approached the door, her head tilting to the side as she heard him whispering to his family to hide and to stay quiet. With a smirk, she kicked down the door, earning screams from the family who hadn't been able to move an inch. The children screeched at the sight of her as their parents shielded them pointlessly. The man grabbed his gun and shot several rounds at her, all of them piercing her skin but doing nothing to stop her. Enyo grabbed the man's throat and forced him to his knees, the muzzle of her gun pressing hard into his temple._

 _His wife let out a terrified sob, the sound making Enyo grin as she lowered her lips to the man's ear as he pleaded for her to spare his family. "Shh...I will spare you all if you just tell me where Werner Schwarz is." She hissed into his ear, her hand tightening around his throat making him gasp for air._

 _"I-I-Please." he begged, his entire form trembling. Growling, Enyo pointed the gun at one of his children who screamed. "NO! No! Please!"_

 _"Tell. Me." she ground out, her tone making sure he knew he didn't have a choice in the matter. He would give it to her painlessly, or she would beat it out of him._

 _"Round the corner. The house with the mill." he whispered, his head hanging with shame. Smirking, Enyo released him._

 _"Thank you."_

 _Several gunshots filled the air, followed by four slumps before she stepped out the house, smiling and splattered with blood. She hummed as she followed the man's directions, reloading her gun as she went. Just as she turned the corner, she immediately spotted her target trying to flee into the forest with his wife and daughter. When they spotted her, they ran faster, eventually disappearing into the swell of trees. She let them run as she fired pointlessly into the forest making them scream, but she knew none of them had been hit; She couldn't smell their blood._

 _She followed after them, strolling at a gentle pace until she reached the tree line. She gripped her fists and threw them up, a wall of vines stopping the family from going any further. She chuckled to herself as she walked, every tree igniting with fire around her, the leaves burning beneath her feet, and the echoes of terrified cries meeting her ears like music. As she came into their view, the Mother was holding her daughter tightly as she sobbed, while Dr. Schwarz fell to his knees, begging her to spare them. He prayed to her like she was God, and in that moment, she was._

 _"Mr. Schwarz...Mrs. Schwarz." she purred, giving them both a polite nod before she shot them both in the head. Their daughter screeched with agony, the sound startling her for a moment. The girl attempted to run but Enyo caught her arm and she fought against her grip, slapping and kicking at her while her cries pierced her ears like nothing before. The red briefly faded to brown and back again making her growl fiercely. She released the girl who scampered away, but Enyo merely gripped her head, fighting the memories and pain that suddenly weighed on her heart. She tore at her hair, and wailed as she became acutely aware of what was going on. She looked around her, her brown eyes darting around at the burning forest and the bodies of Werner Schwarz and his wife._

 _"Please don't kill me. Please. Please." Her eyes snapped to the little girl, her pleads mixing with the ones she'd once uttered herself. She saw everything they tried to block out; Her Parents, her Sister, her Brothers, the pain, and the screams. The screams of every innocent life she'd taken. She gripped her head, trying to get rid of the memories, trying to erase the feeling, as she was sure she would go mad if she didn't. But the girl wouldn't be quiet, she kept crying and begging her, and Enyo was once again taking over. As she screamed in anguish, she scared the girl more. The constant noise and pain ignited her anger, and before she knew it, a pure black wolf stood in Enyo's place, it's muzzle dripping with blood. And little Lorelei Schwarz laid lifeless beside her parents._

Kiara stared out the window of the Helicarrier, her cold eyes watching the clouds pass by. The dull ache in her heart was one she was used to, but it felt much worse now. As expected, Loki had cracked open a box of memories she didn't ever want to remember. She'd been running from the memories since she escaped HYDRA, but thanks to Loki, they were now as present and real as they'd been all those years ago. He'd forced her to remember what she once was, what she would always be until the day she died. She may have been human once, a long time ago when monsters were nothing more than scary stories, but now she lived as one. No amount of pretending or running could change that.

"Hey Ki!" Natasha called. She quickly wiped her tears before glancing over at her. "Fury's about to interrogate Loki."

Kiara sucked in a breath and gave her a short nod as she pushed herself up from the floor and headed over to the table which was occupied by Steve, Tasha, Thor, and Bruce. As she went to take a seat beside Tasha, Steve stood in her way making her eye twitch with irritation. He chuckled at her expression and raised his hands in surrender.

"I'm not going to bug you. I just wanted to say thank you." She opened her mouth to snap at him, but her lips fell shut when she realised what he said, leaving her blinking in confusion. "You backed me up and clearly paid a price for it. I know thank you isn't enough...but it's all I got." he said sincerely, shooting her a shy smile. Kiara snapped out of her shock, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Didn't bring a few bucks with you when you crashed into the ice?"

"Strangely enough, no." He chuckled and Kiara finally allowed herself to smile, which he returned.

"You're welcome. I couldn't just let you get your ass handed to you by a God, no matter how amusing it would have been." She gave him a wink, leaving him gaping as she sat herself down beside Natasha who glanced between the two in confusion.

"You okay?"

"Never better." she sang, pouring herself yet another cup of coffee.

"How much of that have you had?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she watched her gulp it down like it was water.

"Not nearly enough." Kiara admitted, filling her cup yet again.

Shaking her head, Natasha dropped it, and they all watched the screens that appeared in front of them as Fury approached Loki who was being imprisoned in a glass cell, one she knew all too well.

"In case it's not clear...You try to escape, you so much as scratch that glass-" Kiara smirked as the winds blew when the hold opened. " _Thirty-thousand feet_. Straight down in a steel trap."

Kiara stared hard, wishing she could press the button with her mind. Unfortunately, Valcov had given her many things, but the power of telekinesis was not one of them. A shame. Kiara sighed as Fury closed the hold, putting all hopes of seeing Loki drop thirty-thousand feet out of reach.

"It's an impressive cage." chuckled Loki, seemingly unfazed by Fury's threat. "Not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you." Fury shot back, but Loki simply smirked and glanced into the camera making Dr. Banner stiffen.

"A mindless beast. Who makes play he's still a man." Loki hummed. "Or is it the wolf with a killing streak? I wonder...does the eye still hurt?"

Kiara froze in her seat as she tried to ignore the stares before relaxing under Natasha's touch as her hand settled on her knee. "How desperate are you? To call upon such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I?" Fury ground out, his jaw becoming tight. "You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace, yet you kill for fun. You have made me very desperate and you might not be glad that you did."

Loki winced. "Oh...It burns you to have come so close; To have the Tesseract. To have power...Unlimited power! And for what?" Loki turned back to the CCTV camera making Kiara frown. "A warm light for all mankind to share. And then to be reminded what real power is."

Kiara's eyebrows shot up at Loki's choice of words. 'A warm light for all mankind to share'. It was strange, and had she still been blind with hate, she might've ignored it, and put it down to trying to get under Fury's skin. But now that she thought about it, it was a jibe. And clearly one to do with the reason SHIELD had the Tesseract in the first place.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" said Bruce, clearly shaken as the feed of Loki disappeared.

"He's going to drag this out." started Steve, glancing around at everyone. "So, Thor, what's his play?"

Thor stood with his back to everyone as he spoke. _Not a bad view_ , thought Kiara. "He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard, or any world known. And he intends to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"Oh that's just perfect." Kiara puffed, as she stood to make herself another pot of coffee. And at the rate that their conversation was going, she was going to need it.

"An army," Steve repeated, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "From outer space?"

"So he's building another portal." Bruce concluded. Kiara shook her head at the whole situation and was convinced that if she tried hard enough, she could drown herself in coffee.

"Enough of that." Tasha chided, appearing at Kiara's side and slapping her hands away from her cup. "We need you on the Tesseract and Clint, not buzzed out of your mind."

She merely groaned and reached for the cup but was once again blocked by Tasha. "I need coffee to function. If not, my head might explode."

"You're being dramatic."

"I think I've earned dramatic with an alien army on it's way, don't you?" Kiara gave her a look before stealing the entire pot of coffee. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to lock myself in a dark room and pretend that I'm not on the verge of a mental breakdown."

"And find Clint and the Tesseract!" Tasha called after her.

"That too."

She hummed and sipped the coffee from the pot, giving a short wave to Tony and Phil as they walked past her. She wandered around the ship, leaving the battle plans to those who would be doing the actual fighting should it come to it. She, on the other hand, would be focusing on what she needed to do. Loki was in custody, which made the rest of her job a piece of cake. The Tesseract would present itself fairly easily, and she would know Clint anywhere. She reckoned that she'd have both of them by the time the day was up, and then she would be in the wind.

With a sigh, she eventually found a small meeting room and let herself inside. It was quieter than the rest of the ship, bar the odd beeping or shout from outside the door. That being said, it was as good as it was gonna get, so she made herself comfortable and gulped down some coffee before sighing deeply into the pot. "Jesus Christ...Help me."

She pushed the pot away from her and closed her eyes to focus on tracking. She found that the Tesseract was easier to track than Clint, with the trace being stronger than Clint's scent, for once. She frowned, trying to follow the trace, but she could clearly tell that it wasn't static, it was moving which just added to the bad news of the day. She massaged her temples and frowned, forcing herself to locate the Tesseract. With her newly activated abilities, it was supposed to be easier to locate them, even if it was mobile. She gritted her teeth as she kept pushing and pushing until she could no longer see the trace, but she could see the Tesseract itself.

She looked around and saw that it was held in some sort of device that she definitely didn't recognise. She saw Eric Selvig there along with it, and several other men who were armed. Selvig was still working on the framework she'd seen before, but there was something new to it. It looked like crunched up foil, but she knew better. She suspected the new 'foil' was Iridium. Frowning, she glanced around looking for something that would give her an indication of where they were, but instead, she found Clint stood by the cockpit. So it was a jet...And by the looks of the inside, it looked like a SHIELD Quinjet, a stolen one at that. She stepped towards the Cockpit and saw that they were over water, but judging by the radar, the only thing she could be sure of was that they were heading West, mostly likely with the U.S being their final destination.

With a sigh, Kiara pulled herself out and opened her eyes only to let out frightened yell when she saw Fury sat opposite her, his fingers laced together as he looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

"They're on the move in a stolen Quinjet. So if there's one in the air that hasn't been authorised, it's them. They're heading West, so it looks like they're coming to the U.S. Barton and Selvig are with the Tesseract. Looks like there's mercenaries there too. And they're using the Iridium for the framework I told you about." she told him, rubbing her forehead. "That's as good as it's going to get until they either stop, or I get some sleep."

"That's good enough." Fury gave a nod, before he laced his fingers together and sat back, merely looking at her.

"What?" she sighed, awaiting the inevitable favour he was going to ask of her.

"I need you to speak to Loki." he said. Ah, there it is.

Kiara stared at him before bursting out into laughter. "Not a chance! Unless you want me to press that shiny red button that'll kill him, I shouldn't go in there."

"He seems very fixated on you and Banner. He might reveal something if you're there." Fury looked at her seriously, but she continued to shake her head.

"I'm not doing it, Fury. He's only fixated on reminding me of what I used to do." she told him as she stood up. "I'd rather not go through that again."

Fury let out a disappointed sigh, earning him a sharp glare. He knew guilt tripping didn't work on her, and she was insistent on her stance. She wasn't going. "Fine." he said, standing also before he grabbed the pot of coffee from the table.

"HEY!" She yelled, swiping to grab the pot from him, but he held it away from her.

"Romanoff said you're becoming dependent." He gave her a look before leaving the room. Kiara cursed Natasha's name and fought off a tantrum before rubbing her eyes.

"Christ, Kiara, get a grip. What are you? Five?" she muttered, leaving the room also to explore until the Tesseract became static and she could give an exact location.

 **A/N: Once again, thank you so much for the feedback and reads, I'm happy to see that you're enjoying it. I hope everyone's having/had a good day!**

 _Edited: 02/02/2019_


	7. Chapter 6 - Monsters Among Us

She'd expected the Helicarrier to at least be a fraction more interesting than it was. She was on her fourth round of the ship and there were no meetings she could eavesdrop on, no fights or training sessions. Everyone was focused on finding the cube, as expected, and she was supposed to be doing the same, but no matter what she did, there was a constant block. Most likely due to the lack of sleep on her part. She was pushing the 35 hour mark, and she could certainly feel it.

"Why don't you just catch a few winks?" suggested Natasha. "I'll wake you if we get a development."

The two women were sat at the table on the Bridge. Natasha was eyeing the computer screens from afar, waiting for a lead, while Kiara laid back, her eyes staring at the shiny ceiling as she let out a long groan. "I can't. Every time I close my eyes, there's just noise in my head. Plus, I can't just stop looking for Clint. I have to find him."

"And you can't if you're tired."

Kiara just shrugged. "I've functioned on less and it still worked. I just need my brain to kick in and I should be good."

"Good luck with that." Natasha mumbled making Kiara roll her eyes.

"See, now that hurt my feelings."

"Please." she scoffed. "We both know you don't have feelings."

Kiara chuckled in response before settling back and drawing her eyes back to the shiny metal panels of the ceiling. She stayed like that for a good 30 minutes, just staring blankly at the ceiling and letting out a loud groan for as long as she could without running out of breath. She was on her tenth groan before Natasha finally kicked her chair, nearly sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Go and bother someone else before I throttle you!" Kiara straightened herself up, fighting the laugh that threatened to tumble from her lips when she saw the wild look in Natasha's eyes.

"Alright, alright." she chuckled, raising her hands in surrender as she pushed away from the table. Natasha merely shot her a glare as she wandered off, once again looking for somewhere to settle until she could actually do what she was there to do. After a while, she was ready to give up and try her luck with Tasha again, but she caught sight of Steve, Tony, and Bruce in the lab, disagreeing about something.

"-safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny. No offence, doc."

"It's fine." Bruce gave him a small smile before he saw Kiara and waved her inside. "Anything new?"

"No. As far as I can tell, it's still on the move. Clint and the Tesseract have separated though. With Clint on the Quinjet, I can only assume the Cube is here already." she explained as she approached the work bench. He immediately went to narrow the field, leaving her alone with Tony and Steve who seemed to be having a stare down. "Everything okay here?"

Both men continued to glare at each other before Tony turned to her with a cocked eyebrow. "So, you're who we have to thank for the narrowed field." he commented, throwing a handful of blueberries into his mouth. "Nice work, kid. How does it work, anyway?"

Kiara cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry?"

"The tracking? Is it mental GPS or something? And what's with the wolf thing?"

She glanced at the three men who were all looking at her curiously and she suddenly felt uneasy. "I-uh...It's complicated." she admitted, combing her fingers through her hair. Tony gestured for her to sit, so she perched herself on the bench. "The tracking is a scent when it comes to humans. Its just a bit stronger. As for the Tesseract, its more like a scar that it leaves. It's so powerful and unique, that it is so obvious when I track it."

"So you have super smell?"

Kiara laughed and shook her head. "No. It's like a map in my head. I can see traces of everyone and everything I've ever come into contact with. It takes a bit of sifting through, but I can track them. On a good day, anyway."

"That's impressive." said Bruce, as he turned away from his work to look at her.

"And the wolf?"

She cleared her throat and diverted her eyes to her fingers, suddenly finding them much more interesting than meeting eyes with Tony. "My-my genetic code was changed and mixed with other things. They shot me up with their own 'Super Soldier' serum, and well, you saw what it does."

"Someone did that to you?" Steve breathed out, shock marring his features.

Tony sat back, curiosity filling his eyes. "What's your story, huh? How did this all happen?"

Kiara nibbled on the inside of her lip and glanced at Bruce before shaking her head. "I'd prefer not to say. It's, um...It's difficult for me to talk about."

"But-"

"Tony..." Bruce said softly, giving him a shake of the head to leave her alone.

"Whatever." Tony shrugged, standing up again. "If you don't want to talk about that. Would you prefer to discuss conspiracies?"

"Conspiracies?" repeated Kiara. "About what?"

"About SHIELD. About this whole thing. About Fury hiding the real reason why he called us in."

"He thinks Fury's hiding something." Steve explained, folding his arms as she looked at Tony with disapproval.

"Correction; I _know_ he's hiding something. None of it makes sense. None of it's clicking into place." It didn't seem too far fetched, and it certainly wouldn't surprise her if it was true. Even when she worked for SHIELD, Fury had always had another agenda in the works. Sometimes for good, sometimes not so much. "Why is he bringing us in? Why now?"

"Well, I don't know anything if that's what you're saying, but I do think Loki's jab at Fury was a double-entendre." Tony nodded her for her to continue. "Um, so obviously, it was meant for you. With the tower, it's the first step towards an eco-friendly world."

"Stark Tower?" asked Steve, his nose scrunched up with distaste. "That big, ugly-" Tony merely stared at him, daring him to continue. "-building in New York?"

"It's self sustainable, Steve. Powered by an arc reactor." piped up Bruce. "That's the point. It'll run itself for what? A year."

"And that's just the prototype." agreed Tony, offering both Bruce and Kiara some blueberries.

"It was meant for you on one hand, but for Fury on the other." Kiara popped a blueberry into her mouth as she glanced at the other men. "When I was here before, they were working on the Tesseract then too. I knew it was a bad idea, but the council was adamant to reinstate research into it. I was never told what they wanted to use the Tesseract for. But the power alone, it's...it's massive. I've never come across anything like it. It's strong enough to power anything from weapons, to machinery, to the entire grid of the US, if not more than that."

"Power weapons? Like the sceptre." Bruce confirmed, and Kiara nodded. "Well, the radiation levels are consistent with the Tesseract's. If it could be harnessed, it could power anything that could sustain it."

"Exactly. So, if he wanted to harness energy, why wouldn't he call in the biggest name to help him with it?" Kiara threw the rest of the blueberries into her mouth before resting back on her hands. Tony looked ready to burst with excitement while Steve and Bruce looked uneasy.

"I love it. How scandalous!" Tony beamed, before raising an eyebrow at her. "So why do you think he called us in now?"

"A God just stole the only hope Earth has to potentially create weapons for something a little more dangerous than terrorists. I think it was a priority to get it back. Even if it meant calling in the big guns. But none of that really surprises me. SHIELD isn't all about the people, never has been. My problem is with Loki...He's far too comfortable being here."

"How so?" asked Bruce.

"Well, if you planned to start a war and win the Earth and then you were captured and held captive, you'd be a little pissed about it, right? You'd be doing anything you could to get out; Plotting, threatening, bargaining. Loki's just there. He doesn't seem fazed, doesn't seem bothered. Isn't that strange to you?" Kiara glanced around at the other men who seemed stumped, but she was sure she was right. Loki hadn't talked to anyone since Fury, and he seemed perfectly content in his cell. It almost seemed like he was right where he wanted to be.

Her eyes suddenly bugged as she hopped off the counter "I have to go." she muttered, immediately running out of the lab and heading towards the Bridge. She shoved past people as a million thoughts ran through her head. She thought she knew his game, but she had to be sure, and she had to speak to the only person who knew him.

She pushed past security once she reached the bridge before stopping by Thor who was startled by her sudden appearance.

"Lady Kiara?"

"Loki. He's your Brother? You grew up together?"

"Yes." Thor frowned, confused by her questioning.

"So you know how he works?"

"I'd like to think so, yes. Why?"

"Is he usually angry when things don't go the way he planned, or is he calm about it? Levelheaded?" She was practically bouncing in front of him.

"Loki?" Thor let out a booming laugh. "He hates it! He would sulk for days. If there is one thing you must know about him, My Lady, it's that he relies on everything going his way. He breeds chaos, but he is always in control. When he's not, he can't stand it."

"What about- um, what about weaknesses?"

"Well, he is easy to hurt physically. But he's a master of manipulation, Lady Kiara. You must know that. He'll do anything to get inside your head. You'll need to think ahead to beat him." Thor placed a heavy hand on her shoulder, giving her an earnest look.

"I need to know how I can get into his head."

Thor seemed reluctant, but when he saw the desperation in Kiara's eyes, he knew he had to tell her. "Then you must speak of Lady Liana. His Wife. She is a caring woman, and she would not support what he is doing here."

"Thank you!" She burst out, slapping his chest before she whipped around to face Fury who was waiting for an explanation.

"I need to speak to Loki."

"Are you sure about this?" asked Tasha as she stood in front of the door which led to Loki's cell.

"Yeah. I think I can get something out of him. It's all a play on words, right?" Kiara gave her a crooked smile, trying to hide her nerves. She knew it needed to be done, and if she could prevent needless deaths, she could handle her feelings being hurt.

"Alright." Natasha couldn't hide her disappointment. "But we'll have eyes on you the entire time. And I will have you pulled out if it gets too much."

"Yes, Mom." Kiara rolled her eyes good-naturedly, earning a smack from Natasha. With a final smile, Kiara slipped through the door quietly and made her way up the steps towards Loki's cell. It was nearly identical to what she'd been confined to just the previous day, but he certainly looked less bothered than she had been.

As she reached his cell, she stood for a few moments, waiting for him to catch on, and she knew he had the moment he started chuckling. "Of all people...I thought you'd be the last person they'd send."

"What can I say? I get a kick out of proving people wrong." She shrugged and folded her arms.

Loki hummed as he approached the glass, easily towering a head above her. She narrowed her eyes, not trusting him even behind the glass. "I'm sure...I'm assuming you're here to get information out of me?"

"That's the plan." Kiara nodded. "But first, I want to know about Clint."

"Ah, Agent Barton. A friend?" Loki cocked his head at her and let a patronising grin spread across his face.

"A dear one." Kiara ground out, doing her best to keep her temper in check. "How long do you have to be in here before he's free of your control?"

Loki smirked and trailed his eyes from her head to her feet, seemingly fascinated by her. "Your naivety is amusing, I have to admit. But I'm afraid Agent Barton won't be released until I want him to be, Darling."

"How about if you died?" she wondered.

"You can't kill me. You all need me alive, so no matter how many times you threaten me, I know you will never carry it out." Loki stepped back, a triumphant smirk on his face making Kiara hum as she debated whether a lecture from Fury was worth it. It definitely was.

With a smirk, she walked over to the control pad and tapped the screen making the hold open. The intense winds had her hair blowing around her face as she gazed at Loki who was unbothered. "You won't do it."

"Won't I?" She gave him a cruel smile and slammed her hand down on the button and the cell was gone. She heard terrified screeching, followed by a hard smack as Loki collided with the floor. Chuckling, she raised her hand and the cell floated back into its original position with a flustered Loki laid out and panting hard. She approached the glass as the clamps took hold of the cell once more and crouched down near him and hummed. "Dear, dear, I wonder what sweet Liana would think of all this..."

The moment the name left her mouth, she saw the effect it had on him. He immediately tensed, and his eyes softened enough that he looked almost harmless. Almost. As if a switch had been flicked, he launched himself at the glass, fury burning within his green orbs. "You dare speak about her you filthy mongrel!"

Kiara cocked her head at him, a faux expression of guilt reaching her face as she stood. "Did I hit a nerve? Shame. Now, let's get one thing straight, shall we? I'm the one in control here. Not you. I'm not a SHIELD agent. I'm not a hero. So I have no care how your death affects them. You don't have anything to hold over my head. You have no power over me."

She watched as Loki's posture relaxed, the fury dying in his eyes before he began chuckling at her. "Are you sure about that?" She frowned in confusion. "You are so very naive, my Dear. Your friend's life rests in my hands. I don't think you're in a position to be making threats. In the time it would have taken for me to reach the ground, I could have made him slash his throat ten times already. So, I regret to tell you that your attempts are futile.

Kiara sucked in a sharp breath, her confidence visibly dropping as her frown deepened and her shoulders slumped, earning another bout of laughter from Loki. "Oh, don't look so disappointed, Darling. You never stood a chance." His tone was nothing but compassionate, but it only angered her more. "Your abilities are...interesting. But I've heard all the tales. I know everything. The child who would topple the world from it's pedestal. It's almost poetic. But that was his aim, was it not?"

Kiara was frozen, her entire body becoming tense as she fought the burning behind her eyes. "It's a wonderful idea, I'll admit. No one would suspect a child to be so ruthless and bloodthirsty." Her nostrils flared as she clenched her fists, shame now replacing her anger. "He went to extreme lengths though, didn't he? Creating a weapon is one thing, but you...Well he turned you into a monster. One that strikes fear into the hearts of the children and adults alike."

"I suppose we have that in common, don't we?" she hissed, her eyes narrowing into a glare.

"Oh...Is it a sensitive subject? Well, I can imagine all the slaughtering did take a toll on you. Did you tire of seeing the bloody mess you'd made? So many deaths. So many pointless deaths." He pouted with fake pity, but his eyes gleamed as he watched her react to his every word. It varied between anger and fear, before it settled on pure, untainted pain. Loki approached the glass once more and cocked his head at her.

"I wonder...Do you think your friends would be any match for you?" he hummed, making Kiara's eyes meet his, panic filling her expression. "Alpha. Blood. Bullet."

She let out a choked gasp as she pushed herself away from the glass, her hands clenching as she shook her head fiercely. "Please! Please don't! I'll do anything!"

"Wolf. Fire. Black." Tears were pouring down her cheeks now as she stumbled to her knees, letting out a pained cry. Loki watched with hungry eyes as she hunched over and began trembling. She was covering her ears in vain as her white hair began flaming.

"I'll kill people. I can't do it!. Please don't make me!" she sobbed, finally looking up at him, her brown eyes now blood red. It was quite a sight to see mind and heart fighting one another for dominance over the body. Her eyes were bordering on wild as the animal fought to break out, while her body was doing everything to fight the change. She was distraught, and it only made it that much more fun.

"That's right...You'll kill people. You'll kill every last person on this ship because they were stupid enough to bring the monsters on board." he hissed, before stepping back, his eyes gleaming. "Enyo."

With a terrified scream, Kiara hunched over, hiding her head between her arms, her shaking gradually decreasing. Loki watched eagerly, waiting for his monster to make its appearance, but he was only met with quiet laughter. He frowned, watching as she sat up straight, her hair and eyes fading back to white as she struggled to contain her laughter. Eventually, she slapped her hand over her mouth as the giggles bubbled out of her.

"What? What are you-"

"Dude." Kiara interrupted, her brown eyes alight with humour. "You seriously thought that would work? They wiped that out years ago!" She howled with laughter making Loki's eye twitch. "No, that's too funny. And you honestly thought you knew everything about me?" She beamed at him as she rested her hand against the glass of the cell, a patronising look on her face. "Oh, don't look so disappointed, Darling. You never stood a chance."

Loki snarled at her mocking as he stormed away from the glass, pure fury radiating from him as he pushed his fingers through his hair. "So, your plan was to unleash the Hulk and I, huh? Now that _is_ poetic."

Loki merely glared at her as she practically skipped towards the door. Before she left, she leant against the railing and sent him a genuine, bright smile. "Thank you, Loki. I'll be sure to tell _everyone_ about how you helped me."

She shot him a wink before bursting through the door to head back to the Bridge. She tapped her earpiece, trying to get a hold of anyone, but no one was responding. With a shrug, she assumed they were busy, so she made her way to the lab to warn Bruce and keep him calm. She had a lid on her monster, but she wasn't so sure about whether Bruce had a lid on his. And while she was sure it wouldn't come to that, she still had the entire population of the ship to think about.

As she ascended to the higher levels, she suddenly halted, Clint's scent hitting her like a brick wall making her eyes widen, realising that he had to be close. With that, she sprinted the rest of the way to the lab, and found everyone she needed, but they were arguing with one another about God knows what. "Clint's here!" she exclaimed. "He's here. Loki is trying to unleash the Hulk."

She'd gained everyones attention, but the looks she received were not the ones she was expecting, neither were Steve's words.

"She is a HYDRA operative!" Kiara's blood turned ice cold as she turned to him, panic filling her eyes. "She's a murderer! Controlled or not, she still worked for them. She still **killed** for them!"

"Not only are you making weapons, you also brought the most dangerous one onboard. She's responsible for Bacharach and San Francisco. And you brought her onboard." Tony snapped, before he turned on Kiara who was staring at him with unshed tears shining in her eyes. He stormed towards her and slammed her against the wall, his hands tightening painfully around her forearms. "I know who you are, alright? I know _what_ you are! Did you get a kick out of murdering all those kids, huh? Did you even care?"

"No, I- I- no!" She was panicking now as the man before her looked at her with the disgust she knew she deserved. All she saw was disgust and hatred and fear. Most of all fear. She could barely hear a word Tony was saying, all she saw was him spitting words at her, anger visible in his eyes like she'd never seen from anyone before. But his words were like white noise as all she could hear was the pounding of her heart and the screams she tried so desperately to block out.

"She was just a child." snapped Fury, shoving Tony away from Kiara. **Just a child**. Oh, how many times she'd heard that. She was just a child. She was merely a child. But she'd still slaughtered thousands. Her hands were still dripping with blood. The lifeless, terrified eyes of every life she'd taken still haunted her in her sleep. She was just a child. But she was cursed and she was a soulless murderer. She was a monster, and now everybody knew it.

The panic started to rise further and further into her throat as she clawed at her skin to try and breathe. She stumbled away from the wall, the familiar churning in her stomach making her heave and pant for breath. She had to get out. She had to leave. She had to escape. She had to get out. She had to get out. She was so distracted with her own panic that she barely felt the explosion. She barely felt her bones break or the fire envelop her skin. She barely felt anything, including the blow which made everything black.

 **A/N: Please, please, pleaseee, let me know what you think. I appreciate everything. So drop a review. I hope everyone is well and that you enjoy this new chapter. We're getting closer to the end!**

 _Edited: 03/02/2019_


	8. Chapter 7 - This Monster Has A Heart

Muffled beeping and shouting met Kiara's ears as she faded in and out of consciousness. Her head pounded painfully and there was a sharp, throbbing pain in her back. As she finally woke, she was utterly confused. Her ears were picking up so much, but she couldn't decipher exactly what was going on. She had no idea what had happened, or where she was, but all she could tell for certain was that something was on fire. The smoke filled her lungs and surrounded her like a dark cloud, leaving her spluttering and gasping for clear air, which did nothing for the pain in her spine which was becoming more and more of a concern.

And her concern was called for as she became acutely aware of something heavy weighing down on her. She winced as she shifted, realising that whatever was on top of her was stabbing into her back. Gritting her teeth, Kiara knew that there was no other way to get out of the situation she was in without causing herself some pain. So, with a yell, she pushed hard against the weight, wincing loudly as she felt the wound begin to heal once it was removed from her back. With a grunt, she shoved what seemed to be a shard of destroyed metal away from her and used the wall to push herself to her feet.

It was then that Kiara got a look at what she was dealing with; Huge flames enveloped the destroyed room which was once the lab, billowing smoke pouring through the destroyed doorway and down the hallways which held nothing but rubble and agents who were running to their stations. She tried to track what had happened, briefly remembering her confrontation with Loki, the lab, the argument. She closed her eyes then, her heart feeling like it was being squeezed painfully. She remembered the hatred in their eyes. The disgust in their voices.

 **"She's a murderer."**

Letting out a shaky breath, Kiara fell back against the wall and stared at the burning laboratory fearfully. Had she done this? Her emotions had skyrocketed the moment she realised everyone knew about her, had she lost control? For a moment, she thought so, she was so convinced of it, but then she saw the large hole in the floor, and realised that it had been something else entirely. It was an explosion. It was an attack.

She should've jumped into action, she knew that. She should go and help save the day. Prevent pointless deaths. That's what she was supposed to do. But she couldn't find the heart to do it. She'd been knocked down a peg or two, she'd been reminded of her place. She cared about Clint, she really did, and she would do anything to help him, but it had been stupid of her to come. To stand among heroes and think that she could maintain a lie. To think herself above Loki when she herself had been in his exact position mere years before.

She was a killer. She was a monster. It was what she was built for. She was programmed to leave no man standing, to be brutal and merciless. She was no hero. And she couldn't pretend that she could be. After all, what hero walks away from the fight?

Sighing, Kiara turned away and stumbled along the corridor. Ignoring the screaming and the gunfire and the chilling roar that came from the lower levels. The noise was deafening and it broke her resolve with every passing moment, so she quickened her pace. She sprinted through corridors and down stairs, wanting desperately to get away. She ignored everyone she passed, fearing that if she gave any of them a single look, she would have no choice but to stay.

Kiara took another flight of stairs before freezing to a halt when she saw several armed mercenaries heading towards her. They caught sight of her, and then they fired on her. She waved her hand, throwing up a protective shield around herself, the bullets dissolving into nothing as they hit the shield. Her eyes darted around her, knowing that she either retreated, or she fought them. And falling back wasn't an option.

Growling, she dropped the shield and ducked to avoid a punch. She jammed her elbow into his ribs before kicking him back into the others. She was tackled down and the man started wailing on her, his fists connecting with her cheek and jaw over and over before her fist burned with fire. Her eyes burned red making him pause and look at her with horror before her fist connected with his sternum. She jumped up and leapt onto the railing before waving her hand, watching the fallen men gasp out as their airflow cut off. She slid down the railing and dropped down to the next floor and took off running. She could get out from there, she knew it, she just had to be quick.

"GRENADE!"

Kiara's head snapped towards the Bridge as a grenade went off and saw several mercenaries filing through the doors. She'd recognised the voice; It was Maria Hill. And she didn't doubt that Fury was with her, maybe even Phil. She should've just walked on. She should've ignored it. But she promised herself that she couldn't lie to herself any longer, and she might've been a monster, but she was a monster with a heart.

Glaring, Kiara's eyes immediately turned red and her hair billowed like flames around her head as she ran towards the Bridge. She flung balls of fire at the backs of the mercenaries and dropped when they turned to fire on her. She slid towards them and gripped their legs with her fiery hands and yanked them to the ground, their heads smacking hard against the floor. She bared her teeth as another man shot her in the shoulder making her snarl as her entire body ignited with flames. The remaining mercenaries kept firing on her, but the bullets exploded the moment they hit the flames, but they kept firing as she approached them before she threw ball after ball of fire at every hostile she saw, leaving them flailing to put out the flames before they were put down by Fury.

With a sigh, the flames died down and she looked to Fury who gave her a thankful nod. "Another engine is down. Stark is out there trying to make repairs but we're falling fast. I need you to keep this thing up."

Kiara gave him a sharp nod before running through the halls. Nearly everywhere was smoking or damaged somehow and it only got worse the further she went, but she couldn't focus on the decor of the place. She had to get to the engines otherwise they'd be making a crash landing, and she wasn't too optimistic about how that would go.

Eventually, she made it to the engines, but heard gunfire. With narrowed eyes, she crept towards the opening, her hair beginning to blow as the powerful winds threatened to topple her over. Her steps were silent as she approached behind a merc. She grabbed one by his throat and slammed his face against the metal wall making him slump to the floor before she let out a yelp as as several bullets pierced her arm and side. She jumped out of the way and glared in the direction they'd come from, only to see Steve pointing the gun at her.

"Ow." she deadpanned as she held up her hands in surrender. "Relax, it's just me."

"And is that supposed to make it any better?" he ground out, the gun still trained on her.

"I suppose not, but I can't help if you shoot me." she said softly, her eyes flicking between him and the gun. His expression didn't soften making her sigh. "I know I'm the last person you trust but people are going to die and neither of us want that."

He glared at her but seemed to let up as he lowered his gun. She let out a breath of relief before ducking behind the wall as several mercenaries appeared, shooting at both herself and Steve. Her eyes bugged when she saw Steve slip from the edge, only just managing to catch a loose cable. It stopped him from falling, but she could tell it wasn't going to last long and she wasn't about to let him die. She ignited her hands and peeked at the mercenaries, just managing to pull her head back before they started shooting again. She turned the corner and launched fire at both of them as she ran towards the first and ripped his gun from his hands as he screamed as the fire enveloped him.

She avoided bullets from the merc above her as she took a running jump and latched onto the grates. She jumped onto the walkway and kicked the gun out of his hands and dodged a hit before gripping the back of his collar and throwing him against the railing. He groaned loudly as he collected himself before he started to laugh. She frowned before her eyes widened when he pulled out a knife and cut the cable.

"NO!"

She lunged for the cable and just managed to grab a hold of it and the railings to prevent both of them falling. She winced as the weight of them both had the metal grate cutting into her fingers, before glancing down at Steve who stared up at her with relief.

"I got you." she called, tightening the grasp on the cable as she felt it slipping. "I've got you! Just-just hold on!"

She looked around wildly, trying to figure out a way to get them both back to safety; She couldn't hover him back to the walkway as her hands were a little full, and he would be sucked out by the wind if she tried to swing him back. She looked around while desperately trying to cling to the cable before she spotted falling bits of shrapnel and the plan began to form in her head.

"Ok, I'm gonna need you to trust me!" She looked to Steve who looked hesitant at first before giving her a strong nod.

With a hiss, Kiara yanked hard on the cable which pulled him closer before she let go of the grating and the cable, falling back. She waved her hands and used the winds to launch Steve back to safety before she blew the slab of shrapnel towards her. The moment the metal met her feet, she levelled out and took a moment to steady herself before soaring towards the failing engine. She blew strong winds at it to give it a kickstart, but it barely budged, and she knew she'd get shredded if she tried to push it herself.

She knew it would be difficult, and God was she dreading it, but the Helicarrier was getting closer to the ground, and it didn't look like the engines were coming back online anytime soon. Gritting her teeth, Kiara pushed up against the metal, the weight immediately weighing down on her as she put everything into keep it up. She let out a yell as she used all of her power to control the powerful gusts, pushing them up against the Helicarrier to keep it level and airborne. Despite the other two engines working, the weight was painful and had her muscles screaming for relief. She used everything she had. A protective shield formed its way underneath to keep it upright while gusts of wind pushed against it and a mountain of water climbed its way from the ocean and held it like a crutch.

Kiara screamed out as every part of her body was screaming and begging for her to let go, but she couldn't. No matter how much she wanted to, no matter the relief it would bring, she had to think about everyone on the ship, and those below them. The impact would be devastating, and she couldn't have that on her conscience. She couldn't be the reason that more innocent people died.

"No. No. No. Come on!" she whimpered, her knees buckling from the weight. "Come on!" Tears pricked at her eyes as she felt her strength weakening but the weight just kept piling on. Panic started to fill her as she tried to stand herself up and push harder despite the burning pain throughout her body and the snap of her bones. She screamed and buckled again before the weight seemed to lift from her hands as the engines came back online. She laughed with relief, but all her strength had gone. The winds had faded and the water splashed back down into the ocean as she only just managed to get herself back onto the ship before she collapsed against the wall.

She whimpered in pain as she fought the tears that threatened to spill. It felt like she was strapped back to that chair, her whole body felt like it was going to explode as her muscles burned and her bones ached as her body tried to repair what she'd harmed. She pressed her head against the cool metal and stared at the clouds that passed below. Despite the engine failures, they were still so high up. It was almost like she could see the whole world from that one spot and it was beautiful.

There was so much beauty in the world, and she hadn't been able to see much of it in her short life. She'd been running for so long, but everywhere she went seemed to pass by like a blur of colour. She hadn't been able to just stop for a moment, like she was now, and just look. She hadn't had that luxury, but God, her sight was perfect enough. Her eyes travelled to the brilliant blue waters below and she couldn't help the strangled laugh that left her lips at the thought of falling.

Maybe _this_ was how it was supposed to end for her...Not in a cell or surrounded by people who would cause her harm, but surrounded by the beauty that she'd been blind to. After all, now that the truth about her had come out, she doubted that there would be much willingness cooperation with her. Besides, she was tired and she didn't have much fight left in her. She was done with the running and the hiding and the lying. With a single choice, she could be free, after so many years, she could be free of the pain of the past and the fear of her future. All she had to do was fall.

Smiling, Kiara took in the sight once more, almost as if to imprint it into her mind as she shifted closer to the edge and closed her eyes. With a sigh, she leant forward and awaited the fall, but she was swiftly caught by the waist and snatched backwards before her body could even leave the edge. Her eyes snapped open and she whipped around to see that it was Steve holding her, his eyes wide with horror as they met her sullen ones. She shoved out of his arms and pressed herself against the wall and held her head in her hands as she tried not to lash out.

"What were you-?"

She ignored him and rubbed her eyes hard. Her promise really wasn't worth all this hassle. It wasn't worth the pain or the stress or the look of pity that Captain America was giving her. In fact, it made her sick to her stomach, and once again, falling off the edge was looking like the most appealing option.

"Why would you? Why would you even want-" Steve was looking between Kiara and an equally horrified Tony who had seen the very same thing that he had. They both knew what she was, Steve had seen the file and he'd heard Tony talking about it, but when he looked at her, he still saw an innocent, but clearly pained girl.

"It doesn't matter." She finally met his eyes and he swore he'd never seen anyone look so broken in all his life. Her dark eyes were shining with unshed tears and he saw all of the exhaustion and pain and anger. He watched her lips pull into a weak smile as she laughed bitterly. "You could never understand."

"It matters to me!" he pressed. "Help me understand."

"Why?" she snapped. "Why? What do you mean to me? What do I mean to you? You were ready to shoot me dead a few minutes ago! I don't owe you or anyone else an explanation! Besides, the answer was right in front of you! You saw what I am. You saw what I've done. So why do you care?"

He tone was bitter and cold, but her expression remained the same. She couldn't even spare him a glare. "You saved me." he said quietly making her look away from him. "I don't understand why you would save my life but not care about yours?"

She laughed to herself as she pushed herself up. "If you can't already see why, then you'll never understand."

She walked silently past him and lowered her head as she passed Tony, not daring to look at him as she wandered off. She was still going to get off that ship if it was the last thing she did, but she at least owed Fury that, no matter the repercussions. He would be disappointed in her, there was no doubt about that. If there was one thing she could do perfectly, it was disappoint Nick Fury.

"Agent Coulson is down." Kiara froze on the spot. Her heart started pounding as she replayed Fury's words in her head. Coulson? No, it couldn't be Phil. He shouldn't have been anywhere near the fight.

"A medical team is on the way."

"They're already here." Fury said solemnly. "They called it."

 **A/N: Ok! So, we're nearly at the end of Avengers! Next is Iron Man 3, and seeing as I love my readers and take note of your opinions, I wondered how you wanted the setup of this to go on. Do you want me to carry on the story in this book, or publish it separately? It's entirely up to you though I will have to either come up with a new summary or change the current one! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think, and thank you as always for the reads and comments.**

 _Edited: 03/02/2019_


	9. Chapter 8 - A Stray Returns

_September, 2009_

 _"Kiara...?"_

 _The young girl glanced up from the floor of her cell, her gaze settling on the shocked agent on the other side of the glass._

 _"Phil." she whispered before letting out a bitter laugh. "Like what I've done to the place?"_

 _Phil looked around at the destruction that filled her cell; Shattered glass and splintered wood littered the floor, there were cracks and smeared blood on the glass of the cell where she'd punched it over and over. But Kiara looked the worst. A thick collar was locked around her neck while metal gloves now encased her hands, leaving her slumped on the floor._

 _"What happened?"_

 _"Well I killed the Black Mamba. But we destroyed half of London in the process. So, the Council have decided that I would perform better without the leniency they've so graciously given me. For the foreseeable future, I'm back in the cage." Kiara rested her head against the wall, her lifeless eyes watching Phil take a seat by the glass._

 _"And the collar?"_

 _"I gave Rumlow my thanks and painted the walls red."_

 _"You can't keep doing this, Kiara. It'll get you killed." Phil sighed and rubbed his hand over his face making Kiara's temper flare._

 _"How is this my fault?" she snarled. "I am in constant danger while I'm here! Rumlow can't wait to see me killed, Fury doesn't give a damn, and the Council has never been particularly fond of my inclusion at SHIELD."_

 _"You know that's not true."_

 _"Isn't it?" she roared. "Look at me, Phil! I'm chained up like an animal! Again! According to the Council, I'm more of a problem than a remedy. How long do you think it'll be before they decide they have no use for me anymore? They won't toss me out, will they? No. They'll put a bullet between my eyes."_

 _Phil looked at her sadly and let out a sigh as he pulled the chair closer to the glass. "No one is going to let that happen. There are too many people who care about you." Kiara scoffed and looked away. "It's true! No matter what you think."_

 _Kiara kept her eyes diverted, refusing to look at him while he spouted lies. It was easy for him to say that, but from where she was sitting, she didn't have a single ally in the world. After all, who had tried to stop the Council from locking her up? Who had vouched for her against Rumlow? There was no one to be seen. No matter how many people turned up to see her, no matter how many people told her she was safe, she knew she wasn't. She knew it was only a matter of time before they signed her death sentence._

 _Phil sighed watching her phase out of reality. He knew she was close to giving up, he'd seen her look the same way when she'd first arrived at SHIELD. She'd been a tiny terror of a child, but she'd been so sad and so scared, having seen too much in her life. She was but a baby and had experienced more horror than most adults at SHIELD could imagine, and nothing any of them did could change that. During the time she'd spent at SHIELD, a select few had managed to gain her trust, himself included, and in return, she'd earned their affection which she often struggled to understand._

 _Smiling sadly, Phil approached the cell and tapped in the code and scanned his eye before entering the cell. She perked up hearing the door open and her eyes bugged when she saw Phil approaching her._

 _"What are you doing?"_

 _"Fury managed to get me on the approved list of who could enter the cell." he explained, groaning as he sat himself down next to her. He unlocked the collar from her neck making her flinch before she watched him throw it to the side in shock. Phil ignored her look of astonishment and simply leaned back against the wall and patted her knee._

 _"You know, when I first met you, I thought that you were too much of a risk. I thought you were too dangerous after everything that had happened." Kiara's shoulders slumped. "But then they assigned me to you and I was around you everyday, breaking down your barriers and talking once you trusted me enough to. I knew I was wrong the moment I saw how scared you were. And I know you're scared now, but there are so many people who will make sure you're safe."_

 _Kiara bit down on her lip to fight her tears as she glanced up at Phil. The moment he saw the fear in her eyes, her wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her close. She froze for a brief moment before she rested her head against his shoulder as he smoothed down her hair before holding her face in his hands. "You'll be protected, Kid. I promise you that. I'll do everything possible to make sure of it."_

Kiara stared at the floor with sad eyes as she trudged her way around the ship. Fury was explaining himself to Steve and Tony on the Bridge, but she couldn't find it in herself to be there to listen nor to care. She was finding it difficult to care about anything as it was. She'd lost so much over the years, it had almost become second nature to expect that anything good she had would eventually be ripped away from her, so she couldn't understand why Phil's death had shaken her so much. Why it broke her heart to know he was gone. He was just someone else that had been taken from her. After all, she hadn't seen him for two years, and they weren't even that close, right?

That's what she wished she could tell herself. She wished she could sweep it under the rug and remain indifferent, but she just couldn't with Phil. He'd been so kind to her, so patient and understanding when she deserved neither. He'd promised her safety, and he'd kept his promise, even when everything he'd worked hard to achieve hanged in the balance.

She hadn't seen him since the day she ran away, but like everyone else she cared about, he never left her mind, or her heart. She owed him what freedom she had left, and after Fury had cleared her and gave her back her freedom, she was planning on properly reuniting with him. Now all hopes of that laid lifeless on a slab in the infirmary.

It made her nauseous because every time there was death, it felt so wrong and unnatural. And she felt anger. Pure, unbridled anger. At Loki, at SHIELD, at herself. If she hadn't been trying to run like a coward, he might still be alive. If SHIELD hadn't played around with something they didn't understand, their best Agent might still be alive. If Loki had stayed in whatever crevice he'd crawled from, Phil Coulson would still be alive. And it broke her heart.

She didn't have many people left, and the fear of losing them shook her to her very core. It made her want to run, and after everything, she still might. But she had to see someone before yet another disappearing act.

"Are you alright?" Kiara fought a growl when she heard Steve coming up beside her. She looked over at him with a sour expression and saw him gazing back at her with those stupid, pitiful eyes.

"I'm fine." she said icily, hoping he would take the hint and leave her alone. He didn't.

He easily fell into step with her making her stiffen as she awaited whatever he had to say. "You don't look fine."

"Then stop looking, Rogers." she snapped, her eyes darkening as she hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Steve let out a sigh as he fell back a little, but still followed her, which only irked Kiara even more. He knew she was uncomfortable, and he knew she didn't like him much, but he couldn't help but be curious about her. He knew she was dangerous. He'd seen what she could do, and it was probably only a fraction, and he'd also briefly heard about what she'd done. The moment HYDRA was mentioned, his perceptions of her changed. He thought HYDRA had been brought down with the Red Skull, but here was living proof that they hadn't, nearly seventy years later.

If it was true, then he didn't trust her as far as he could throw her, but he was convinced that there had to be more to her story. She was young, and she certainly didn't strike him as heartless or murderous, though her glare was starting to make him realise why she might be. But all that aside, she had helped them, and she'd saved him twice now. It wasn't exactly a HYDRA trait.

"Stop following me!"

Steve snapped out of his thoughts and focused back on Kiara who had stopped and was glaring at him impatiently. "Why do you do that?" he wondered, making her frown. "Every time I've seen a little bit of who you might me, you hide it again by being rude."

"I'm not the one following someone around." she bit back, becoming agitated once again.

"I only want to understand you." Steve pressed making her bark out a bitter laugh.

"You don't have that liberty, Rogers. Contrary to belief, I'm not some creature you need to study."

"I'm not saying you are!"

"You don't have to say it! The fact that you won't leave me alone and that you're trying to 'understand' me says it for you. We are not friends. In fact, we're barely acquaintances. I don't need or want you to understand me!" She could feel her eyes burning making her hiss with irritation as she turned to leave.

"Just let me-" Steve gripped her wrist to tug her back, but before he could blink, she had ripped her wrist out of his grasp and kicked him hard, slamming him into the wall.

"Don't you dare!" she snarled, her form starting to shake as she glared at him with such rage. "Don't you dare touch me! I'm not some helpless little doll you can manhandle! Keep your hands to yourself and your nose out of my business before I cut them all off!"

Without so much as another glance, Kiara turned on her heel and stormed down the hallway, leaving behind a panting Steve who watched her go with bulging eyes. Kiara let out a vicious growl as she slammed her fist into the metal, leaving a deep dent. She was practically vibrating with anger, snapping at anyone who got in her way as she stormed towards the recovery room.

It had gone too far now. She didn't completely blame Steve; He'd come from a different time, and she didn't expect him to just know what she was like. But her temper couldn't withstand the constant prodding it was getting from everyone and everything around her. She couldn't withstand it. Too much had been grinding on her nerves since SHIELD's appearance in Brazil, and she was so close to reaching boiling point that she worried what she would do if she did. For the sake of herself and everyone else, she would have to leave, but she wouldn't forgive herself if she left without seeing Clint.

Fury had told her that Natasha had managed to apprehend him and he was being detained in the recovery room. She hoped more than anything that he was back to normal, that she could say goodbye to someone who she knew, and not the shell of him. It would make it harder, and it would make her angrier, which is not what anyone needed.

So, as she approached the recovery room, she held her breath before she peaked through the glass, and everything seemed to melt away into nothing but relief. Sat beside Natasha, was an awake, and smiling Clint. She didn't waste any time in waiting, and pulled the door open carefully, a bright smile reaching her lips.

"So, it's true...A stray returns."

Clint and Natasha whipped around, the former gaping at the sight of her. "Kiara?" he spluttered, earning a wider grin from her. "What are- what are you doing here?"

"You'd been compromised. I had to help." She shrugged and leant against the doorway, her eyes trailing over him. He had a few bruises and scrapes, and the circles around his eyes were dark. She could tell he was exhausted, but she preferred the red in them to the blue she'd seen him with before. She could handle exhausted and shaken as long as he was Clint again.

"And here I thought you didn't give a damn about anyone." A small smirk reached Clint's lips making her roll her eyes as she sat herself in the chair opposite.

"There are a select few, alright? You happen to be one." She sat back and raised an eyebrow at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck." he grumbled, rubbing his hands over his face while Natasha smirked. "He's messed me up big time."

"Well, it'll take a while to sober up from it. Some sleep will probably help." she suggested, giving him a pointed look as he scoffed in response. "I'm serious, Clint."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll sleep when I'm dead." Kiara didn't look amused. "I can't sleep. Not now. We still need to find Loki and bring him in." Kiara stared at him in disbelief, her eyes flicking between Clint and Natasha before she barked out a laugh. Both of them had that stupid vengeful glint in their eyes.

"You're kidding?"

"He's going to unleash an army, Kiara." Natasha interjected. "We have to stop him. People are going to die."

"Tends to happen a lot." She shrugged dismissively, earning a disappointed look from Natasha which she gladly ignored. "It's suicide."

"It doesn't matter." Clint interrupted as he leaned forward to look her dead in the eyes. "It's what we do. It's not guaranteed if we come home, but we go out there and we fight. Because the world needs us to, even if they don't know it. It's our duty."

"It's not my duty." Kiara stood and clapped a hand on Clint's shoulder. "I came back for you, and I can't tell you how relieved I am that you're safe again. But I can't walk into someone else's war again. I'm not a soldier, I'm not a spy. I'm not a hero. I did what I needed to do."

"So, you're just gonna walk away?"

"It's what I do best." She couldn't help a smile sadly as she squeezed Clint's shoulder and placed a brief kiss to his temple. "I've missed you both, and I hate to leave as soon as I've come. But I have to. Just- Please just be safe."

"Te Amo." She squeezed Natasha's hand and delicately pulled away from her tight grasp, forcing herself to not look back. The same ache that she'd felt on her heart a few short years ago seemed like nothing compared to now. Walking away from them was infinitely more difficult than it was before, and it was under completely different, and much worse, circumstances. She knew they wanted more than desertion from her, but it was too much to comprehend, and it was not her fight.

She'd done her job. She'd found the Tesseract, Loki, and Clint. But SHIELD had managed to lose two of the three, so it was out of her hands. She'd fulfilled her half of the bargain, no matter the finer details of it. She could think of hundreds of words to describe what she was doing, but none described it better than cowardice. She was running once again, and undoubtably at the expense of peoples lives. She could tell herself it was for the benefit of others, but even she couldn't fool herself with that lie.

"Monroe." Kiara frowned and snapped out of her reverie. She saw Fury stood before her, eyeing her curiously making her frown in confusion. Had she really gotten to the Bridge that quickly? "Is everything alright?"

She focused back on Fury and she could've laughed. It was like she'd been transported back two years. It was still disastrous, she still confused Fury and disappointed Clint and Natasha, and she was still running. It was truly hysterical.

"I need to talk to you." she said quickly. He raised his eyebrows before realisation came to his eye.

"You're leaving." It wasn't a question. He knew. He always knew.

"I have to." she replied, trying to remain passive despite the pain in her heart. "I've done what you asked, but this is too much. I can't do it anymore."

Fury ran a hand over his face before gripping the back of the closest chair. "Goddammit Kiara." he growled, slamming his hand on the chair. She remained unbothered as she stared at him, flinching slightly at the pleading expression that marred his face. "I need you on this. Ok? I need you to help because it's going to be countless fatalities if you don't."

"It's not my fight an-"

"The hell it's not!" he roared making her flinch. "This is a fight for all of us! This is our planet we're about to lose. These are our people that we're about to lose! You can prevent that!"

"I'll only do more damage!" she snapped, gritting her teeth in an attempt to settle her temper. "I'll end up killing people."

"No you won't. You know you won't." Fury approached her quickly making her freeze in place, eyeing him cautiously. "You can protect them. And you can fight. You _have_ to fight."

She glared up at him, her fists clenching. "I don't _have_ to do anything! I'm not your puppet anymore! My choices are my own! They're mine!"

"Then make the right one. Please. We both know running isn't what you want. And it will be useless if Loki wins." Fury pinched his nose when he saw the defiant look in her eyes, knowing convincing her would be a mammoth task. One he didn't have time for at the present time.

He went to speak once more, but was cut off by a sudden announcement. "We have an unauthorised departure from Bay 6."

Fury whipped around and they just caught the back end of a jet flying away from the Helicarrier. "They found it." he breathed. "Get our communications back up! I want eyes on everything."

Kiara watched fearfully as the jet followed the Iron Man suit, and she knew exactly who was on it, and it filled her heart with dread. "Kiara." Fury was back in front of her again. "This is the choice that matters. This is what will define you. You can either walk away a coward and prove everyone right. That you're nothing more than the monster that Valcov made you. Or you can fight. You can fight the battles that those people can't, to protect the only people you care about, and to prove a few motherfuckers wrong." He smirked at her and gripped her shoulders. "You can go after that jet and prove that you're not a killer, or a monster. But an Avenger. And the person that I always knew you could be. That Phil Coulson always knew you could be."

Her eyes shined as she glanced up at Fury, his words bouncing around her head at a million miles an hour. If she left, she'd be right where she started, and with even more blood on her hands knowing she could've prevented the slaughter. And if she fought, she'd be everything that Valcov didn't want her to be. She'd be waging into a war, yes, but for once, it would be the right war, and a necessary one. And it would be what Phil would've wanted. It would make sure he didn't die in vain.

"I'll need a suit." She let her lips twitch up into a smile making Fury bark out a laugh.

"It's where its always been."

Unable to hide her grin, Kiara gave him a nod before taking off towards the armoury. Her heart pounded with excitement and worry as she got closer. The fight was uncertain, just as much as the outcome of it was, but that was the cost of war. It was never easy, and it was never simple, but if she could help, and she could use her powers for the right reasons for once, she might just sleep a little easier.

As she reached the armoury, her breath hitched as she scanned her eyes and thumbprint, hissing at the prick to her skin for the blood test. Nibbling on her lip, she let out a breath as she entered the room, watching the different levels and units shifting until the case halted in front of her.

Her pure black catsuit sat behind the glass, the strips of cloudy liquid gleaming and swirling in the light as she approached, while her hoverboard hung beside it, still in the perfect condition in which she'd left it. A wave of nostalgia and glee washed over her at the sight of them and she didn't fight the grin that lit up her face as the glass case opened with a hiss.

"It's been a while, Ladies." she muttered, trailing her fingers over the cold metal. "I guess we should let the Black Wolf rise one last time."

 **A/N: I'm so sorry it's been forever since I updated, I've had a bit of writers block, but I'm back! We're nearly at the end of Avengers, and due to the feedback I've had, I'll be continuing the series in the same book! Thank you for the views and reviews I've had, I appreciate each and every one! I hope you've enjoyed the eighth chapter! Please let me know what you thought!**

 _Edited: 03/02/2019_


	10. Chapter 9 - The Black Wolf Rises

**A/N: PART ONE OF THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK! It's a long one! And so will the second part. Obviously, it's a battle so there will be violence. There is a particularly violent, if not gruesome fight in the middle of the chapter, so I will warn you now. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a review! Thanks guys!**

"Initiating lock in."

Kiara rubbed the metal cuffs around her wrist, wincing as the needles locked into her veins. She glanced down at the strips of clear liquid and turned up her nose when she saw her blood mixing with it. "Alright, Monroe, everything looks fully functional. Your board is at full power. You can head out when you're ready."

Kiara smirked and opened her mouth. "And no, 'never' is not an option." Fury grunted, already knowing what stupid retort she was going to come out with. "But we do need you to get there quickly. We still don't know where they are."

"New York. Selvig's setting up on Stark Tower." As the door to the runway hissed open, powerful gusts threatened to sweep her away, but she managed to settle the winds around her as she sprinted towards the very edge of the Helicarrier.

"You couldn't have led with that?" Fury complained before she heard the muffled commands to the other Agents.

"Sorry?"

Fury let out a deep sigh. "Just don't do anything stupid, alright?"

"Please! When have I ever done anything stupid or reckless?" She was met with silence making her chuckle as she launched her hoverboard off the side of the Helicarrier. "Fair...Besides, coming out alive against an army of aliens? Piece of cake."

"Just get going, Monroe."

With a smirk, Kiara ran faster and faster before diving over the edge, letting out a gleeful cheer when her feet hid the hoverboard and locked into place. She swerved away from the Helicarrier and levelled out as she blasted away from the ship.

No matter how much she wished she could, she couldn't deny that it felt good being back on the board. Even during the most dangerous of missions, it had been calming to fly without having to transform, to just soar high over cities and forests and oceans. It brought out a joy in her that few people got to see, but even now, as she flew to almost certain death, she was enjoying herself. She could tell that in her absence they'd made some alterations, as it was faster than it had been before, and it was much easier to manoeuvre.

With a shameless grin, she soared towards New York, the coastline of Long Island already in sight, and the jet still a bit of a distance away from her. As it stood, she really had no idea what the plan of attack was; It wasn't like she'd fought an army of aliens before, there wasn't a handbook for this sort of thing. Even Thor didn't have a clue what they were dealing with, so she was flying in blind. It was almost funny really; The whole thing just didn't seem real. It all seemed like a terrible, strange dream, and she half expected to wake up still in Sao Paulo, but even if she did, she was ashamed that a part of her would be disappointed at that reality.

There was no doubt that it was going to be the most unpredictable and dangerous fights she'd ever been in, but sharing a battlefield with heroes, would be one to remember if she survived. There was no question that she would fight with everything that she had. Fury was right; It was time for her to make a choice about the type of person she was going to be. She could either be the coward she'd always been, or be part of something more. Be someone that the world needs her to be, but on her own terms.

The people of New York didn't ask for, nor deserve the destruction which was about to come, and she was more than happy to make sure that as many people are protected until the moment the last alien was dead, no matter the cost.

"Are you picking up anything, Monroe?" Kiara blinked as she was knocked out of her reverie by Fury's voice and noticed that she was entering New York, and the jet wasn't too far ahead of her now.

"Nothing seems to be happening as of yet, but I'll let you know if anything does." she replied before hearing a static in her ear making her cringe at the sudden sharp noise.

"Kiara?" Her lips curled up into a smile at the appearance of Clint's voice. "You're here?"

"Well, Fury convinced me to pull my head out my ass. Besides, if I'm gonna go out fighting, might as well do it while fighting an army of aliens."

She flew over the cockpit and sent him and Natasha a small wave. "Look at you sacrificing yourself for others! I thought you'd lost your moral code!"

Laughing, Kiara dived until she was level with the cockpit and flew alongside them. "Miracles happen everyday apparently."

Clint went to reply, but he was cut off by Natasha whacking his arm. "Eyes up."

Frowning, Kiara looked up, her eyes immediately locking onto the Stark Tower, or rather the blue stream of light hitting the sky. The moment it did, it sent a shockwave of energy through her before a pure black hole began to open, a few hundred feet above the city. "Oh my God."

A chill ran down Kiara's spine as she watched the hole grow bigger and bigger before dozens of aliens began to flood out. "Fury, get an alert out to the whole of New York!" Kiara exclaimed, firing up her board and jetting off towards the hole. Tony was already taking on the army singlehandedly, and the closer she got, the more she saw. An army didn't do justice to the amount there was.

Once she was close enough, Kiara ignited her hands and threw ball after ball of fire at any hostile she saw. While it was easy enough to take them down, their sheer number was enough to overpower the both of them. They were just as fast, riding their own chariots, and they had just as much firepower, which she was sure was powered by the Tesseract.

"There's too many to fight here." Tony grunted, wincing as he was hit out of the way. He fired several missiles at the incoming aliens, blowing several up but doing little damage to them as a whole. "Any ideas?"

"Yeah. Get out of the way and be ready to give me something that'll blow up."

Heeding her advice, Tony moved out of the line of fire as Kiara threw a shield around the hole, trapping the Chitauri inside. She gritted her teeth, trying with all her might to hold the mass of aliens that fought to get through before looking over to Tony. "NOW!"

He launched a missile towards the shield which exploded the moment it touched it, killing any Chitauri within the shield. "Very nice." Tony gave a nod of approval before sighing as they watched another wave of Chitauri pour out of the hole. Kiara threw up another shield to protect them both from the blasts before looking around in horror at the burning buildings and fleeing civilians.

"Try and keep them on your tail. I need to get these people off the streets!" Kiara told him. Tony nodded in agreement before they separated, with him luring as many Chitauri away from civilians while Kiara headed towards the ground, shooting down as many Chitauri as she could. It had been mere minutes since the invasion had begun, and New York's streets already looked like war zone. Buildings were alight with blazing fires, cars had crashed and overturned, and rubble was littered all over the streets.

She put as much of the fire out, but there were still too many people trapped inside the buildings and running around on the streets for her to get back on the offensive against the Chitauri. Launching a wave of fire towards a group of them, Kiara landed safely on the street, her board folding away into her boots as she put up a huge shield as she looked back at the civilians who cowered in fright. "Get inside and go as low as possible! Go!"

She didn't have to ask twice as they scrambled inside the buildings, freeing up most of the street. Without putting her guard down, she put up as many shield's as possible, protecting the people inside the buildings from getting any unwanted visitors that would undoubtedly try to make an appearance.

"How're we lookin', Stark?" Kiara waved her hand, using the winds to blow the Chitauri into one another, the force of the hit blowing up the chariots.

"Very bad. Very, very bad!" he exclaimed, dodging several shots from the Chitauri. "I could use a hand!"

"Sorry!" she puffed, jogging over to an overturned bus. "I've got none to give at the moment!"

"Stark! We're on your three, headed North-East!" Natasha came through, earning a breath of relief from Kiara that they finally had backup.

"What? Were you getting drive-through? Swing up park, I'm gonna lay 'em out for you!"

Sure that Tony had his back covered, Kiara hopped onto the side of the bus and pulled open the doors, only to be met by the many faces of terrified, young children. "Ah, crap." she grimaced, before hopping inside, earning fearful screams from the kids. "Hey! Enough! Be quiet. I'm gonna help you."

They still cowered away from her, but she was thankful that they were no longer screaming, even if their cries weren't much easier to deal with. Fighting a huff, she moved down the bus, checking for any serious injuries while trying to remain as kind as possible. It wasn't that she hated children, they just set her on edge. After Lorelei, she knew that kids had no place being around her, so being in a bus full of them did nothing for her nerves. Thankfully, they all looked fine, bar a bit of bleeding, but thankfully, none of them were critical. Unfortunately, there was still a fatality; The bus driver. With a sad sigh, she turned away and faced the kids, shielding the poor man from their view. Kids didn't need to see death at their age.

"I'm gonna have to lift you out. So just...I don't know, be quiet and trust me." She cleared her throat before gathering them underneath the door before pulling herself through. She glanced around and saw that there weren't any Chitauri near, only flying above. She immediately put a shield around the bus incase of a sudden onslaught. Kneeling down, Kiara reached inside and managed a tiny smile at the kids. "Alright, hold onto my arm and don't let go. I've got you, okay?"

Only a few stepped forward, brave enough to trust her. They latched onto her arm tight and she quickly lifted them beside her before going in for the next few. Eventually, with the promise of safety, they all trusted her enough to get them out. It took longer than she would've liked, but all she cared about was getting them away from the fighting and somewhere safe. Eventually, she managed to get all of the kids out of the bus, before hopping off. "Slide down, I'll catch you. I promise."

"Do you pinky promise?" One of them asked, their big eyes wide.

Kiara gritted her teeth, and gave them the nicest smile she could. "Sure kid...Pinky promise."

"Double pinky promise?"

"Just get down here. Jesus Christ!" With her sudden change in tone, many kids started to slide down without her having to ask again, and she grew annoyed with the others and just tugged them down. She was getting ready to catch the last kid when a sudden blast against the shield had the kids screeching. Kiara looked over her shoulder and saw that several Chitauri were starting to surround them.

Jumping up, Kiara pulled the last kid down and held up the shields as they fired at them repeatedly, doing little damage to the shield. However, the kids were screaming and grabbing a hold of her which did nothing to ease the situation. Her shields were holding, but she didn't know how long they would last, especially against their advanced weapons.

Growling, Kiara pulled away from the kids and locked eyes on every Chitauri she saw before throwing hers hands up. Within seconds, dozens of thick vines shot out of the ground and into the Chitauri, killing every one of them instantly. Sighing, Kiara turned to the cowering kids and picked up two of the youngest before gesturing to a nearby building. "Stay together and follow me."

The kids all nodded in unison and huddled together as she created a path for them, putting up shields around them as they hurried over to the building where several people were already waiting to receive them. She immediately handed the kids over before ensuring the rest of them got inside safely, making sure every one of them was accounted for before heading back out.

She took off down the street, only to freeze when she heard a deafening roar echo around the city. Kiara directed her eyes skyward and sucked in a shaky breath at the sight of a huge alien ship descending from the hole. It looked like some horrific mix between a monster and a machine, seemingly acting as both a ship and weapon to the Chitauri, who were still coming down on them fast.

"E.T did not prepare me for this shit." Kiara grumbled as she was once again stuck in a battle with Chitauri. She winced as she was shot in the side making her growl as she blew one of them into an oncoming rider before burning the rest.

"You doing okay, Ki?" Natasha came through making her grumble as she protected yet another group of clueless civilians.

"This is a freaking nightmare! This is just a total shitstorm, it really is!" She sprinted down streets, getting into a quick routine of telling people where to go and killing any aliens that decided to challenge her. "You know what? If I survive this, I'm just hibernating for the rest of my life!"

"It could be way worse." Clint admitted, making Kiara's eye twitch.

"I'm sorry, do you not see the flying monster or is that just a figment of my imagination?"

She activated her board and jetted away from the street as she took down as many Chitauri as she could. She tried to locate everyone and managed to see Thor on Stark Tower, Tony firing pointlessly at the ship, but she couldn't see Steve, Natasha or Clint.

"Where are you guys? Where's the jet?"

She frowned, hearing nothing but wincing and yelling. "Two seconds!"

Rising higher, Kiara looked around frantically and managed to spot the three of them fighting a group of Chitauri. She was about to blast towards them before she was knocked out of the sky and landed hard on a car. Groaning, Kiara slid off the car, wincing as she felt her spine cracking back into place before she struggled to her feet. She barely had time to comprehend who was in front of her before a knife was plunged into her shoulder making her yelp with pain and push away from her attacker. She glanced up, her eyes narrowing as Loki stood before her, a cruel grin spread across his face and a nasty glint in his eyes as he watched her pull the dagger from her shoulder.

"Hello again, Darling."

She sneered in reply before igniting her hand with fire. "Round two, then?"

"I'm afraid you won't find me as easy to beat as you did before." he purred, beginning to circle her. Kiara rolled her eyes before slyly waving her hand, making the wind blow him towards her before she kneed him in the side and kicked him against a car. She launched at him, her fist slamming into his jaw as she tore off part of his armour and ignited her hand with fire. She went in for another hit, but before she could even touch him, she was hit out of the way by a car.

Hissing, Kiara struggled under the heavy weight and glared when she heard Loki's demeaning chuckle. His belittling attitude only infuriated her more as she kicked the car off her body and flicked her wrist, immediately smirking as the vines wrapped around his body and pulled him towards her as she jumped up and landed a hard kick into his stomach before he broke free of her bonds.

She narrowed her eyes and ducked quickly, avoiding a hit before her head whipped to the side, a snarl coming from her throat as she felt the blood dripping from her cheek, the slash deep enough to pain her. Without a second thought, she threw a fire ball at him, managing to hit him in the chest before he launched several blades at her in retaliation. She shielded herself before dodging another hit as he appeared behind her. She gripped his arm and twisted hard before slamming her elbow into his face. He chuckled lowly, but Kiara didn't stop her attacks.

She took a jab at his face, his side, his stomach, each one harder than the last and causing significant pain that even Loki couldn't hide. Her fist connected with his nose and before she could wail on him once more, Loki caught her fist in his hand and squeezed hard. With a snarl, Kiara blew a dagger into her hand and sliced his hand before ducking under his arm and plunging it deep into his thigh making him yell out and stumble to his knees.

Kiara kicked him down and ignited her fists, ready to deliver the final blow before she was able to take even a single step, Loki's mocking laughter had her hackles up in an instant. She half expected him to make some witty remark, but instead, he simply turned to face her, an amused smile on his face before his body began to glow a blinding green. She squinted and shielded herself from the light before she sneered.

Now stood in Loki's place was a towering wolf which easily met her height. Like her own form, its fur was jet black, but its eyes were different. Just like Loki's, they were a deep shade of green, and held the same mocking glint in them which infuriated her. Before she could do anything in defence, Loki caught her waist between his teeth and bit down hard making her scream before he launched her away.

Fighting the pain which flared around her waist, Kiara focused more on the pain of transformation as the Black Wolf burst free from her body, landing hard but safely away from Loki. She stood tall, her sharp canines bared in a snarl as she watched Loki's much larger wolf charge at her. She lowered herself down in a crouch before pouncing onto him once he was close enough. She latched onto his shoulder and clawed at his back while Loki fought to get her off, but she was locked on and wasn't letting go without a considerable fight. Magic and mischief may have been his forte but this was hers. He had made the mistake of thinking that being bigger meant being better, but she'd fought bigger before, and she'd won.

Loki snapped at her legs but she simply went for his neck, snapping and clawing at his jugular as Loki rolled them over and clawed her face but she went in for the kill once more and latched her teeth into his throat, slamming him onto the ground and biting down harder as he fought to escape her jaws, but she didn't let go. With a frightening bark, Kiara clawed at his chest and slammed him into the ground once again, the metallic taste of his blood seeping into her mouth as she tightened her hold on his neck before her jaws snapped together as nothing was between them.

She growled, knowing he'd disappeared again but before she could search for him again, a dagger was plunged into her back making her howl with pain and collapse to the floor. The pain and the inability to heal with the dagger still in her back had her transforming back into her human form, before Loki grabbed her and pulled her up. He held her close to him, his breath tickling her cheek as he gripped the handle of the dagger and hummed as he watched her whimper quietly.

"So, you are human after all." He smirked and dragged a finger down her cheek as she fought against the weakness that was beginning to overcome her. She felt her knees buckling, but Loki had a tight grip on her waist and held her upright. "I must say I expected better, but you're weak, like all the others." She fought a scream as he pressed the dagger deeper into her back making her grip his forearms, attempting to ignite them, but she was too weak to produce even a tiny flame. "I hope they remember you, darling. Despite this courageous act of selflessness, I hope they'll remember you for what you really are." As tears began to gleam in her eyes, Loki lowered his lips to her ear, his tone cold. "You are a monster. No matter how beloved."

And with that, he plunged a second dagger into her stomach with a sickening grin spread across his face. She gasped and gripped his wrist to prevent him from harming her anymore, but in her current state, she was powerless against him. She looked at him with wide eyes as she felt as though all her power left her body. A chill ran up her spine as she finally felt cold after so many years. With a whimper, she let a single tear fall down her cheek before letting out a bloodcurdling scream as he twisted the dagger and gripped her body to him and forced her to look into his eyes as he smirked. "You're a weapon, Darling. That's what they made you for. And weapons don't weep."

Kiara's eyes grew fearful at his words before he shoved her down and watched as she grasped the handle and attempted to pull it from her, but she was too weak to even tug. With a final grin, Loki conjured another dagger in his hand, but before he could even move towards her, Steve jumped beside him and hit him hard with his shield, launching him off the bridge and away from them.

With Loki gone, Steve's eyes immediately fell on her and widened with horror as he saw the blood pooling around her. He raced to her side and held her head as her eyes went in and out of focus. "Hey! Stay with me, okay? Keep your eyes open."

"Rogers..."

"Oh God, this is bad." He put pressure around the wound, making her whimper and place her hand on his, her fingers giving a feeble attempt to squeeze his. Steve's eyes met hers again and he saw that her eyes were flickering between brown and red. "We have to get you to a hospital." He hovered his hand over the dagger but hissed at the thought of harming her even more. She was losing a lot of blood, and he could tell that she was fading quickly. With a sigh, he looked back to her with a pained expression. "You should've stayed back."

"Pull it out." she coughed, making Steve's eyes bug.

"Excuse me?" he spluttered.

"Pull the goddamn dagger out, Rogers." She was blatantly in a lot of pain, but she sounded bored which only baffled and worried Steve even more. She'd been close to passing out mere seconds ago, and now she seemed like she was unaffected.

"Are you out of your mind? That could kill you!" he exclaimed before shaking his head with a frustrated sigh. He went to pick her up but she whacked him pathetically.

"I'll die if you don't pull them out." She spat out the blood that began to rise in her throat and cringed at the taste. "I'll heal. Just trust me." Steve looked at her unsurely but she gave him a serious look before wincing and narrowing her eyes at him. "Or you can take your time and let me bleed to death! Your choice!"

Steve sent her a warning look before sighing heavily as he wrapped his hand around the handle and Kiara prepared herself for the pain that would come. With a sincere apology, Steve pulled the dagger out of her while Kiara let out a yelp, tears brimming once more before she gesturing to her back, just wanting it over with so she could recover. Steve cringed once more before pulling it out and catching Kiara before she fell back into her own blood. He held her and was relieved when he heard her breath even out as she rubbed her hands over her face and gave herself a few minutes to heal and recover from nearly dying.

She was silent for a few moments, worrying Steve who simply stared down at her with wide eyes. "Kiara?"

...

"Kiara?"

"Jesus Christ, I need a vacation." she muttered, rubbing the tender but healed part of her back. Steve let out a breath of relief before helping her stand as her legs wobbled when she tried. He gripped her shoulders and steadied her as she came back to reality a little bit. She blinked a few times before shaking her head and peeking up at him, giving him the kindest look he'd ever seen from her.

"Thank you." she said quietly, but he could hear the sincerity in her voice, and he couldn't help but smile as he squeezed her shoulder.

"Well...I couldn't just let you get your ass handed to you by a God, now could I?"

Kiara's eyebrows shot up in surprise before she barked out a laugh. "My, my, Captain...Such foul language." He shook his head in amusement before glancing around at the destruction around them, and Kiara was suddenly reminded that they were in the middle of a battle, against aliens, that were still pouring out of the hole in the sky. "So...You got a plan?"

"I don't think you should be fighting." he said tentatively, getting a grip on his shield a little tighter, unsure whether she would lash out from his comment.

Noticing his movements, Kiara smirked, but simply raised an eyebrow. "If I can still breathe, I'm fine. And if I'm fine, that means I can fight. So, either you give me orders, or I'll just do my own thing. But either way, I'm staying."

Steve pursed his lips and stared back at her, but with every passing moment, he realised that she wasn't going to budge. "Fine. I need you and Stark taking out the riders. We'll keep the fighting to the streets and get as many people inside. Think you can do that?"

"Yessir." She smirked and gave him a salute. She activated her board and locked her boots into it before blasting up into the air and towards the red and gold suit that was being tailed by far too many riders. She ignored the ache that rattled through her as her body screamed for her to just rest a little bit, but once again, she would have to ignore it. The fight was far from over, and she didn't have time to rest.

The moment she got close enough to Tony, she fired at most of the Chitauri that followed him, before using the wind to blow the remaining riders into each other. "You're back! Good." Tony seemed to let out a breath of relief as he went back on the offensive against the Chitauri. "Any thoughts on how to deal with that?"

Kiara dodged a blast from the Chitauri before glancing over her shoulder at the huge alien ship that was tearing its way through Manhattan. "No idea. But we need to stop it from destroying everything or it will tear this whole city apart."

"I guess we could get its attention, right? Lead it away from its warpath?" hummed Tony as he blasted a few more riders. "Ever seen a cat with a laser pointer?"

"Something tells me this will be a little more difficult than distracting a cat with a laser pointer." Kiara said, swerving out of the way of a group of riders before blasting them out of the sky.

"Maybe, but we're still doing it. You're the laser, I'll get its attention for you."

"What?" Kiara blinked over at him and she could hear the smile in his voice as he blasted towards the ship.

"Come along, Fido! We've got work to do!"

Kiara rolled her eyes before blasting after him. They took down as many Chitauri riders as they could on the way, and noticed that some of the Chitauri were actually on the ship when they got closer. They also noticed that while it was most definitely a warship, there were indeed fleshy parts of it, meaning that it could be killed. They just needed the right angle.

"Ready, kid?"

With a nod, Kiara ignited her whole body in fire and flew under Tony as they headed straight for the ship. As they turned the corner, Tony launched several missiles at it which did nothing more than explode on the surface of the shell. It did no damage, but it certainly got its attention as it immediately rounded on them, following the glowing flames that surrounded Kiara.

"Well, we got its attention. What the hell was step two?" Tony and Kiara stared at the incoming ship with wide eyes before they both blasted away. Kiara rose higher and higher away from the buildings to prevent more damage and casualties, but it didn't seem to matter where she and Tony directed it, the ship was still causing major damage.

"Whats the story upstairs?" Steve's voice came through the comms.

"The power surrounding the Cube is impenetrable." She heard Thor coming through also, glad to at least have him in the action. She turned and did as much as she could to try and take down the ship, but its shell was stronger than anything she'd seen, not even Tony's most destructive weapons was making any headway.

"Have we got anymore ideas, because we're just playing cat and mouse with this thing?" Kiara swerved out of the line of fire as they'd gained the attention of not only the ship, but a lot more Chitauri that were firing constantly at them. Kiara threw up many shields, becoming frustrated with the constant attacks before she fired a stream of fire at all the Chitauri, burning and killing them the moment the stream touched them.

"Banner?" Tony beamed and Kiara blinked. _Bruce? What did she miss?_ "Tell him to suit up, we're bringing the party to you."

Kiara followed Tony as they rounded the corner and headed straight for the team. Kiara's eyes immediately locked onto Bruce and relief and hope filled her. He'd disappeared after Hulking out and tearing up half the Helicarrier, but she had a feeling that the open streets would be different. Not to mention that their enemy was very clear this time, and hopefully the Hulk would be able to distinguish between them and the aliens, and maybe he would be able to do more damage than they could.

As they got closer, Kiara let the fire dissipate before swerving to face the huge ship. She glanced down at Bruce and watched as he approached the ship but not turning even the slightest shade of green despite the ship being a few hundred feet away. "Come on, Bruce..."

And, as if her prayers had been answered, Bruce's form began growing and growing, tearing apart the fabric of his clothes as his skin turned an alarming shade of green. Kiara's eyes gleamed as she watched the Hulk slam his fist into the helm of the ship which skidded to a stop. However, her smile dropped as she saw the ship begin to pile up and it was starting to tip towards them.

"Hold on!" Tony flew up behind her and shot a missile at the ship. Thankfully, as it tipped, a section of its flesh became bare and the missile lodged into it. Knowing it was going to be messy, Kiara threw up a shield as the missile exploded, blowing chunks of the ship all over. Grinning, she looked around at the remnants of the destroyed ship which caused a ruckus among the Chitauri.

They halted their assault, their attention now directed at the team as they let out screeches of fury which Hulk was more than happy to return. Unable to hide her smirk, Kiara dropped to her feet beside Steve and Tony and ignited her flames, ready for yet another battle.

 **A/N: God this was so hard to write, battle scenes are just annoying to get right, but hopefully I've done it justice. Only three chapters left of Avengers which I'm super excited about! Also, I've decided to bring back my old Harry Potter series, so if you're a Potterhead, look out for that! Thank you once again for the reads and reviews, I appreciate them so, so much.**

 _Edited: 03/02/2019_


	11. Chapter 10 - One Way Trip

**A/N: Another warning. Graphic fight scenes/descriptions. This is a very long chapter, so I hope you enjoy the last part of the Battle of New York!**

"Ah shit."

Kiara's smirk dropped faster than it appeared as she watched a new wave of Chitauri and their ships coming out of the portal. It seemed like with every step towards victory, the Chitauri pushed them two steps back. They were never ending, and it was beginning to look like the odds were tipping out of their favour.

"Call it, Captain." Tony urged, as they waited for the Captain's command.

"Until we can figure out a way to close that portal, our priority is containing them to Manhattan. Barton, I want you on that roof. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you've got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash." Steve ordered and Kiara snorted as Tony carried Clint up to the roof like his own personal knight in shining armour.

"You'd make an adorable Princess, Clint." she teased.

"You're hilarious..."

"Save it!" Steve snapped, making Kiara quickly shut her mouth as she glanced over to Steve who had a tiny glint of amusement in his eyes despite his hard expression. "Thor, try and bottleneck that portal. You've got the lightning, light the bastards up." Kiara gasped loudly, earning yet another look from Steve. Hiding her grin, Kiara bit down on her lip and stayed quiet to let him task Natasha and Hulk with their assault before she finally cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Do I get to do something or am I supposed to just stand here and look pretty?" She folded her arms as Steve stayed silent for a few moments.

"I suppose you wouldn't stay out of it even if I asked?" She just levelled him with a dark glare. "Right... Then I only want you to do one thing," She tilted her head, and Steve finally let a smile pull at his lips. "Give 'em hell."

"That I _can_ do." With a grin, Kiara activated her hoverboard and blasted up towards the portal and immediately restarted her assault on the Chitauri. She ignited her hands and launched balls of fire at the chariots which easily knocked them out of the sky.

She swerved past a group of Chitauri and launched a stream of fire at them, killing them all before dodging a blast. The Chitauri were relentless and barely gave her a second to breathe between fighting as they came at her from all angles. Their numbers were increasing at a rapid pace, but they seemed to focus their attack on the city rather than expanding out which made securing the perimeter an easy feat, but controlling the violence was a great deal harder. The Chitauri wreaked havoc upon Manhattan, destroying buildings and killing any civilians who got in their way, but since the team had spectacularly gained their attention, a lot of their violence was now being directed towards them rather than the public.

"Kiara! There's civilians trapped in a burning building down 57th!" Clint called. Kiara winced as she felt the burning pain in her side from the Chitauri weapon. She struggled to her feet before hissing as she felt the weapon press against her temple. The Chitauri was yelling and kept nudging her head with its gun making her see red. In a flash, Kiara yanked the gun towards her before slamming it back into the Chitauri's face. She flipped the gun around and fired, instantly killing the Chitauri.

"You said it was 57th?" she asked quickly, chucking the gun away as she activated her board.

"Hurry. It's getting worse."

She immediately sped towards 57th street, her eyes peeled for the burning building, and it certainly wasn't difficult to locate; She had barely turned the corner before she saw huge flames devouring the apartment complex. The bottom three floors looked untouched by the fire, but the same couldn't be said for the top floors which were overcome with billowing smoke which poured from the broken windows. Horror filled her eyes as she sped towards the building, her eyes tuning into the terrified screams from the people within. She landed beside the paramedics and firefighters who had arrived on the scene, her sudden appearance shocking them.

"The bottom floors look mostly unscathed, if you get in and get everyone from those floors out, I can focus on the rest! Get as many people off the streets as possible, you'll be like fish in a barrel down here." she ordered quickly, briefly glancing over and saw everyone staring at her like she'd grown a second head. "Good talk."

She gave them a sharp nod before running into the front doors of the building. Thick smoke instantly hit her like a brick wall, the acrid stench burning her nose as she sprinted up the cloudy stairwell. As she'd expected, smoke filled the air, making it difficult to see or breathe, and debris from the burning ceiling was beginning to fall. It would be dangerous for anyone to come out of their apartments with the air in the condition that it was, so she punched through a window and waved her hand, guiding the smoke out of it to clear the air.

Content that the air would be fine to breathe, she rushed up the next few flights before sealing a shield around the safe apartments, preventing the fire and smoke from spreading any further. When she reached the levels with the most damage, the air was so thick that even she struggled to breathe, and the fires were raging without an end in sight. With a sigh, she reached her hand into the flames, her eyes burning red as she absorbed as much of the fire before kicking down the first door.

She immediately took in the sight of the apartment; the fire had consumed nearly everything in its path and the floor of the apartment above had fallen through, leaving a gaping hole in place of the ceiling while leaping flames engulfed the brittle wood which covering the damaged floor in smouldering embers and destroyed furniture. She carefully manoeuvred around the creaking floorboards and searched the rooms, eventually finding the residents in the bedroom. Her eyes bugged at the sight of the Mother who weakly cradled her unmoving daughter in her arms.

The woman barely registered Kiara as she appeared in front of her, securing a shield around the three of them before she clamped her hand over her nose and mouth. Kiara's heart pounded as the woman blinked slowly before spluttering, coughing up black mucus from her lungs. With a relieved sigh, she did the same to the child, letting the clean air replace the smoke which she'd inhaled.

When the girl started coughing violently, Kiara felt like she could breathe again as the Mother sobbed and held her close. It was a relieving and heartwarming sight, but Kiara couldn't waste anytime. As she placed a hand on the woman's arm to help her up, she jerked away from her and stared at her with wide, frightened eyes. "I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm here to help." she said gently. The woman's expression remained unchanging. "Are either of you hurt?" She shook her head. "Okay. I'm gonna get you out."

Kiara reached out her hand and the woman looked at her cautiously before taking it. She gently pulled them out of the bedroom before carefully leading them out of the apartment and to safety once they reached the stairwell. "It's safe, I promise. Can you get yourselves down?"

"Yes...Thank you." With a nod, Kiara left them to head down before she started running between apartments to the residents out. Thankfully, a lot of their injuries were minimal with a few first-degree burns and cuts, but nearly everyone had inhaled smoke which was easy enough for her to rectify. She worked quickly and somewhat harshly to get everyone out, as she could tell from the creaking wood and collapsing floors that the building wouldn't hold much longer.

Thankfully, there was only one apartment left before the entire building was clear but she wasn't getting much of a trace from inside. She kicked down the door as she did with all the others and cautiously eyed the smouldering wood above her, not trusting it to hold for very long. As she stepped into the scorching apartment, she listened closely for any sign of life, blocking out every other sound except for those in the apartment; The crackling of the wood and the hissing of the burst water pipes immediately went to the back of her mind the moment she heard that one tiny, quiet whimper.

Kiara's eyes snapped to the bathroom door and found it blackening with every passing moment as the quiet whimpers turned into sobs. Kiara rushed over to the door and gripped the burning handle before knocking her shoulder against the door, easily knocking it off its rickety and melting hinges. She threw it down beside her before cringing at the putrid smell which hit her sensitive nose, however, the sight that beheld her made her stomach churn far more than the smell did; The ceiling had crumbled and fallen through, covering the majority of the bathroom with debris which was ignited with colossal flames. Her eyes followed the destruction before her heart clenched as she found the source of the putrid smell. Two people were crushed under the fallen ceiling, their bodies burnt and unrecognisable.

She looked away, before her ears pricked at the sound of the sudden sob. She whipped around and spotted a young girl also trapped under a slab of plaster. Her skin was blistered and bloodied from being burnt and most of her dark hair had been singed off. Kiara could imagine the pain, and almost felt a twinge of it, but the girl didn't look like any of it was bothering her. Not the pain, not the heavy mass crushing her. She was just quietly crying while staring at the two bodies, trauma filling her watery, sad eyes. Kiara quickly placed herself in front of the girl, blocking her view as she lifted the plaster off her and came to the instant realisation that she wasn't getting out without a lot of aid. The girl barely registered her until she touched her skin to lift her, the pain clearly shocking her back into reality as she let out a piercing scream. Kiara tried her best to soothe her as she held her close and fought the panic that rose in her chest. She knew she was hurting the girl, but there was no other way to help her. She wanted to apologise over and over and heal her right then, but there was nothing that she could do.

"Sarah." she whimpered, weakly reaching behind Kiara. "Sarah wake up. Get her to wake up!"

Kiara sighed sadly and dropped the slab as she moved to leave the room. Unfortunately, the sudden weight hitting the floor did nothing for its already weakened state, and the floorboards beneath her feet began to crumble. Kiara's eyes bugged and she jumped out into the hallway, gripping the girl tighter as the floor cracked and fell through the moment her feet touched it.

"NO! SARAH! YOU HAVE TO SAVE MY AUNT!" The girl screeched, reaching behind as she watched the walls crumble into the bathroom. With a quiet apology, Kiara threw a shield around the two of them and crashed through the window. Her board circled around her feet and she managed to level out before flying down to the ground, a mass of paramedics rushing over to her. She ran with them to the ambulance and placed the wailing girl down on the spare stretcher and let them tend to her. She stepped away, her eyes wide as she watched the girl scream for her Aunt.

"Kiara?" Clint's soft voice came through and she let out a deep sigh as she rubbed her eyes.

"Apartment secure. Minimal casualties." she muttered as she wandered away from the ambulance, blocking out the screaming that still filled the air as she approached a firefighter who was barking orders. "We need you to get as many people off the streets as you can. We'll keep as much of the fighting away from civilians but we can't account for the- GET DOWN!"

Kiara jumped in front of the firefighter and only just managed to throw up a shield around the people before she was blasted into the apartments. She let out a pained yell as she felt several bones break as her body crashed through wall after wall before coming to a hard stop. She groaned loudly as her bones snapped back into place before her eyes darted up when she heard the loud cracks and thumps from above. She only just managed to push herself to her feet as the walls began to crumble around her and the ceiling dropped quickly. She threw up a shield around herself as the building collapsed around her.

"KIARA!"

"I swear to God, Kiara, you better not be dead or I'm gonna kill you!"

She groaned as the weight of the building crushed down on her. She turned and looked through the shield, seeing nothing but darkness from the piled debris and rubble. "Yeah. I'm okay." she winced. "Just gimme a sec." She pushed herself up and took a deep sigh as she activated her board. "Here goes nothin'"

Putting full power into her board and strengthening her shield, Kiara blasted up through the rubble, pushing hard against the weight before bursting out. She let out an excited cheer before wrapping vines around the Chitauri that surrounded the civilians and slammed them against the ground, crushing them into the pavement.

"Alright, Clint. You got anything else?"

"Nat and Rogers could use a hand down Park Av." he suggested.

" _Roger_ that." she beamed, earning a scoff from Clint. She chuckled to herself as she soared towards Park Avenue, shooting down several Chitauri who were on Tony's tail before spotting Steve and Nat fighting a large group of Chitauri.

She sped down towards the two of them and landed safely between them before throwing up a wall of fire and launching at the Chitauri who flailed and screeched when the fire hit them. She grinned widely and turned to Steve and Natasha before her smile dropped when she saw the dozens of Chitauri who were descending on them.

"Oh, come on!"

"If only it was that easy..." Natasha muttered, patting her back as they readied themselves for another fight. Kiara threw a shield around them to protect them from the blasts before she exploded into her wolf form. She snarled, baring her sharp canines before charging forward and pouncing on the first Chitauri she met, easily crushing its neck between her teeth before she moved onto the next and the next and the next until a sea of bodies were left in her wake.

The Chitauri were strong creatures and certainly put up a fight against her, but nearly everything about her had been designed to be as strong as possible. Her body could take a lot of hits and damage before it became fatal, she could hold heavy weight and she was faster than any regular human. Even her wolf form was built for maximum performance. Her jaw was like a vice grip and her teeth were stronger than metal. And they were strong enough to rip through the Chitauri and their armour like butter.

Avoiding another blast, Kiara quickly transformed back, a sneer coming to her face as she turned towards the Chitauri and easily dodged yet another blast. She sprinted towards it and slid under its legs, her fist connecting with its back once she stood before wrapping her arm around its neck and breaking it with a sickening crack.

She sighed seeing yet another wave coming towards them as she stood straight, coming back to back with Natasha who already had her Widow's bites charged. "So, how do you think we should work this?" Kiara wondered, eyeing the approaching enemy troop.

"Well it doesn't look like they're falling back any time soon but even if we kill them, more are just gonna keep coming." Natasha said, blinking as the Chitauri fired on Kiara's shield. "We need to close that portal before they become too difficult to control."

"Well, let me know if you figure out a way to do that." She gave her a wink before igniting her fists and shooting streams of fire at the Chitauri. Natasha smirked before beginning her own assault, the two women moving around each other with ease as they took down the troops one by one until only a few were left standing.

With a low growl, Kiara avoided a hit before connecting her fist with the Chitauri's side before she knocked its feet out from under it and kicked it against a car. She picked up its spear and eyed it before she launched it at the Chitauri, stabbing it through the chest and pinning it against the car. _Bitch._

She turned, just in time to see Steve use his shield to launch Natasha into the air where she grabbed the end of a Chitauri chariot. "What the- NATASHA ROMANOFF! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

"It's okay!"

"It is most definitely not okay! What are you doing?" Kiara yelled, preparing to blast after Natasha.

"Closing the portal!"

"GET- Wait, what? You know how to close it?" Kiara watched Natasha go with wide eyes, a flutter of hope in her stomach.

"Well, I might. Bare with me!" Natasha explained before her line fell silent. Kiara made a face before shaking her head in disbelief.

"Kiara, get down!" Kiara whipped around and ducked quickly, her eyes wide as the blast narrowly missed her head. Jumping up, she launched a ball of fire at the Chitauri behind Steve before joining him in the fight.

"Thanks for that." she puffed, sending several vines shooting through the Chitauri before fighting a groan at the mass of aliens that were rushing towards the two of them. She once again ignited her hands and fought with all her might, before she eyed the overpass not too far away from them. "Rogers! I got-I got an idea!"

She kicked the Chitauri away from him before throwing up a shield around them. "What are you doing?"

"Letting the numbers build up." she said simply, smirking as she saw more and more Chitauri beginning to surround them.

"And how is that going to help?" questioned Steve, worry filling his eyes as he also noticed the increasing numbers.

"Because the more that we have on our tails, the more we kill." She sent him a wolfish grin which only made him worry more. " _You_ are going to act as bait and lead them underneath the viaduct, while _I_ bring it down."

"And you think it'll work?"

"I _know_ it'll work. As long as you can run fast." she said strongly, her eyes gleaming before looking around them. Dozens of Chitauri were now firing on her shield and she could see that it wasn't going to last much longer, so she glanced at Steve and grinned widely. "Ready?"

Steve rolled his eyes before giving her a short nod and raising his shield to protect them. Kiara lowered part of her shield and launched streams of fire at the Chitauri in front of them, giving them an opening. Without a second thought, they both sprinted through the massive troop and headed straight for the viaduct. Kiara jumped up, her form shrinking into that of a bird and flew on top of the overpass before transforming back. She looked over at Steve and put a shield around him as the dozens of Chitauri charged after him.

Kiara scoured the surrounding area for any civilians and was relieved to find none. With the area in the clear and Steve safe, she readied herself to execute the plan. She clenched her fists, her eyes focused on the other side of the overpass before letting out a breathe once Steve came into sight. She threw up a shield, blocking the Chitauri from passing underneath before rushing to the other side of the overpass, her eyes gleaming as she watched them fighting against the shield.

She shot down any that tried climbing up the viaduct before throwing up another shield, completely trapping them all underneath the overpass. She let out a breath before glancing down at Steve who shot her a big grin.

"You should get back." she said seriously. "Once this falls, it'll make a bit of a mess."

"Just don't hurt yourself."

"Please." she scoffed. Steve chuckled to himself before moving away. Kiara sighed as she felt the strain on her shields as the Chitauri fought to escape, they wouldn't last much longer, she knew that. As she approached the middle of the viaduct, the strands of her white hair bled into grey while her eyes shined like brilliant moonstones. She clenched her fist which omitted the same glow as her eyes and the ground began shaking violently before she slammed her fist down against the concrete of the overpass.

Within a mere second, the entire viaduct began to crack making her eyes gleam. She sprinted to the edge and leapt from the railings as the structure began to topple beneath her feet. She landed safely and whipped around, a wide grin coming to her face as the entire viaduct collapsed onto the Chitauri, their screeches eventually falling silent.

She blew a stray strand of hair out of her face before turning to look for Steve, only to bump into his chest making her drag her eyes up to meet his. He was glancing behind her at the destroyed viaduct, before he looked down at her, impressed. "It worked."

She smirked and shrugged her shoulders as she backed away from him, a teasing look in her eyes. "I'm good like that." She glanced up and saw Tony fighting the Chitauri that were on his tail, while several of their ships descended on the city, creating nothing but devastation.

"You should get back up there. I'll hold the fort down here." Steve said, his expression grim as he watched the ships tear through New York.

"You sure? 'Cause if you need me to stay and back you up, I will!" He levelled her with a hard look while she beamed back at him.

"Just go, Kiara." he drawled, already walking away from her.

"Yes, Captain!" She cackled before activating her board and flying away from him. She rose higher than the surrounding skyscrapers before heading after Tony and blasting the Chitauri that tailed him out of the sky. "I'm on your six, Stark!"

"Very nice." He hummed with approval as he rounded on her and searched the skies. "We need to start taking down some of these ships but nothing's touching them."

Kiara frowned deeply. "The shell doesn't cover the whole thing, right? It's like a snake, it has scales. If I can expose the flesh, you can blow it to hell, right?"

"Well, sure." Tony blasted another Chitauri out of the sky before turning to face her. "But how are you planning on doing that?"

She shrugged. "I'll think of somethin'. But for now, we'll play cat and mouse again. This time, you're the mouse." She smirked at him before blasting off, earning a chuckle from him. "Come along, _Tin Man_. We have work to do."

"You sound like Elena." he mumbled.

Kiara barely spared the Chitauri a glance as she blasted several out of the sky before cocking an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

"My much prettier, much better half." he said quickly. "You sound like her. She's bossy too."

Kiara opened her mouth to retort, but even she could hear the sadness in his voice. "Is she- um...Is she okay?"

"No, yeah! She's fine. I hope. She worries a lot, y'know? She's a worrier. And she is a very angry woman. I mean, I promised her dinner when this was all over, so she'll probably be pissed if I don't turn up, but what can you do if you're dead, right? I'm sure Rhodey will make sure she's fine." Kiara blinked at his rambling and came to the conclusion that he probably wasn't even speaking to her anymore. She also realised that Tony Stark was scared. She could sense it, and his ramblings made it very clear. Tony had a family and he was terrified of leaving them.

"Hey." she snapped, halting his babble. "You'll make it home to her. I promise.

"That being said, we need to focus up before both of us die."

"Right. Yes." Tony cleared his throat before blasting ahead of her and putting himself in the way of the ship which immediately followed him once he fired several missiles at its head. Kiara narrows her eyes at it, trying to figure out a way to give Tony the opening he needed. She soared underneath the ship and saw that while the scales were close together, they shifted ever so slightly making her eyes glimmer.

"I got it!" she exclaimed, soaring above the ship before dropping down onto its back. Her eyes glowed and her hair faded to green as she threw up her hands, bringing dozens of vines shooting out of the ground below. They snaked around the ship before she clenched her fists and threw her hands down making the vines tighten around the ship and pull it to a stop with a hard tug.

She twisted her hands and gritted her teeth as her vines forced the ship to bend backwards. "Stark! Mind putting a missile in the belly of the beast?"

"It would be my pleasure." Tony rounded on the ship and aimed directly for the exposed flesh before firing. "You might want to move."

Kiara released her vines as the missile exploded. She sprinted down the back of the ship before launching herself onto the roof of the nearest building before it blew. She landed safely and rushing to the edge of the roof, a wide smile coming to her lips as she peeked over at the destroyed ship below.

"Kid! You okay?" Kiara gave Tony a thumbs up as he hovered above her. "There's still one more."

"Go ahead, I'll catch you up." With a single nod from Tony, he blasted off ahead of her as she sighed and glanced over her shoulder, seeing the last ship soaring around the city. She ruffled her hair before activating her board.

She rose up and swung around to head towards the ship before a Chitauri rider appeared suddenly and shot her in the side, knocking her out of the sky, sending her hurtling towards the ground. She let out a cry from the sharp pain in her side before gasping loudly as she landed hard on the ground, her bones breaking and her skull cracking against the floor making a scream catch in her throat.

Her eyes became wide and glossy as she faded in and out of consciousness. As her body fought to heal the several injuries she'd sustained, her mind became fuzzy and her hearing became muffled as the throbbing pain in her head left her unable to move. She noticed a dark figure standing over her making her frown deeply as she weakly raised her hand to protect herself, but the pain throughout her body ensured that she couldn't make out a single thing, or do even an ounce of damage to anyone or anything. She whimpered quietly as nausea crept up her throat as the person lifted her up, only ensuring that more pain wracked through her body.

She figured she couldn't be in too much danger if the person was helping her, so she simply closed her eyes and remained as still as possible until she felt her body healing properly. Relief filled her as her pain dissipated, though the sudden onslaught of clear sound did nothing for her headache. Her eyes snapped open and found a pair of stunning blue eyes staring back at her while long, blond locks framed his concerned face and shined like silk as the sunlight appeared like a halo around him making her eyes widen with amazement.

"Is it you God?" she breathed out.

"Are you alright?" She blinked several times before letting out a weak laugh as she patted Thor's shoulder. "Lady Kiara?"

"I'm fine." she chuckled as she slowly sat herself up and glanced around at the quiet street before she squinted up at Thor. "Is it over?"

"Unfortunately not." he said grimly, gently pulling her up from the ground. "Are you sure you're alright?"

She nodded shortly before giving him a grateful smile. "Yes. Thank you. So, what's our play?" she wondered, stretching her back which cracked into place.

"More of them are coming. We need to close the portal before we lose your city. And the planet." Kiara stiffened at the seriousness of his words, her eyes shooting up towards the portal which was still very much open.

"Tasha...Gimme some good news." Kiara stressed, holding her finger to her earpiece, hopeful for a positive reply.

"I can close it!" she exclaimed. "I can shut the portal down!"

"Do it!" Glee filled Kiara as she glanced up at Stark Tower, awaiting the inevitable closing of the damn portal.

"Wait!" Tony yelled.

"Stark, these things are still coming!" shouted Steve.

"There's a missile headed straight for the city. And I know just where to put it."

The line fell silent, before Steve finally spoke the words everyone was thinking, "Stark...That's a one way trip. You may not come back through."

Kiara's blood turned cold as realisation set in; Either Tony flew the missile through the portal at the expense of his own life, or they closed the portal before and signed the death warrant to the whole city. It was an easy decision to make, as one life couldn't stand in the way of thousands of others, but it shouldn't be him. It shouldn't be Tony. Not when he had someone to go back to, not after everything he'd done. Again, it was an easy decision to make.

Kiara swallowed deeply before activating her board and blasting towards Tony who was heading towards Manhattan, the missile clenched securely in his hands. He came closer and closer, and the weight of her decision was lighter than expected, even with the warning from Clint. She smiled sadly and clenched her fist before punching Tony away once he reached her, before she spun around and took control of the missile, directing up towards the portal.

"KIARA!"

"I promised you that you'd make it home, Tony." She sucked in a sharp breath as she stared at the looming darkness. "Take her somewhere nice."

"Kiara, don't you dare!" Natasha warned.

"I'm sorry." she whispered before sadly smiling as she pulled her earpiece out, letting it drop from her hand before gripping onto the missile tighter and blasted straight up towards the portal.

It should've been terrifying, staring up into the vast nothingness that was ready to swallow her whole. Instead, she felt at peace. She'd believed that it was her time to go after the battle on the Helicarrier, when she was surrounded by beauty. But she could see now that it was her time to die right at that moment. That all her years of slaughter and destruction had brought her to a moment when she got exactly what she deserved. The world was safe from the Chitauri, the Avengers would go on with their lives, and she would finally feel the tranquility of death. She would no longer be burdened by the endless faces of those she'd killed, or the fear of her own power. She would no longer be a walking reminder of Valcov and his insane ideas. She would finally be free.

The portal was so close, hundreds of feet away from the ground, but she could still hear Natasha's screams making her heart clench. Tears filled her eyes as she blocked everything out and took her last breath, giving her last smile to a world that had been so unkind.

The darkness enveloped her quickly, and so did the cold. Thousands of tiny, freezing pinpricks bit at her skin as all heat that she'd once possessed left her body. A painful chill ran down her spine making her gasp, but there was no air to be had. She closed her mouth and she let the tears fall freely as she saw exactly what they'd been up against. A huge mother ship which dispatched hundreds of the ships they'd struggled to take down. Thousands of Chitauri were headed straight for the portal and she realised that they hadn't stood a chance. Not against that army. Not against even a fraction of it. She watched, satisfied as the missile hit the mother-ship, the explosion massive as the fire began to envelop everything around it. She smiled. At least the bastards would burn.

She whimpered as she felt her heart begin to race before she gasped for breath as her lack of oxygen finally caught up with her body which begged and screamed for even an ounce of air, an impossible task in the great vastness of space. Despite her contentment to die, she couldn't fight her body's natural instinct, and she couldn't fight the panic as she clawed at her chest and neck until she began to weaken as death began to take its grasp of her.

Her limbs fell limp as a sheet of ice began to painfully cover her skin. She slowly closed her eyes and let the darkness come for her, with only a single thought to ease her; _Her family were waiting._

 **A/N: Soooo...That's chapter 10. Two more chapters left of Avengers. I really want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read, vote, and comment on this book, it means so much to me and I'm so glad you're enjoying it. It gives me so much motivation to do a good job for you guys, and I only hope to continue doing that. So, with that said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and let me know what you thought!**

 _Edited: 03/02/2019_


	12. Chapter 11 - The Parting Of Ways

_Joyous laughter brought her back from the dark. It was a tinkling, wonderful sort of laugh that she hadn't heard in a long time. Dragging her eyelids open, Kiara was met with the sight of a dim, unfamiliar room. Sitting up quickly, she eyed her surroundings and found that it was becoming more and more familiar with every passing moment, from the oddly placed furniture to the terrible, childish drawings that were proudly displayed on the mantelpiece. It was so familiar, but it seemed like she'd known it from a whole other lifetime._

 _She warily explored the room, admiring the little things that she seemed to know. Her fingers gingerly glided across the ugly wool blanket that was strewn over the back of one of the couches, and she tripped over several toys which were littered across the floor, before her eyes finally took note of the little handprints that littered the glass doors which led to the tiny balcony. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion when she saw the sky; It was a perfect mix of beautiful blues and purples, while billions of stars lit up the dark sky which seemed moved in waves, very much like she was seeing her very own Aurora Borealis. It was stunning, and it left her speechless, but it was wrong. It didn't make any sense._

 _"Kiara! Come play!"_

 _Kiara whirled around at the sound of the familiar voice and almost collapsed at the sight. Standing in the doorway was a little girl, her huge afro pulled into two bunches, her large, mischievous eyes staring up at her in wonderment._

 _"Gracie?" Kiara's voice cracked as tears filled her eyes. She slowly approached the grinning girl, her fingers reaching out to touch Gracie's cheek, unable to believe she was truly there. When her fingers connected with her soft skin, Kiara let out a quiet gasp and fell to her knees, immediately cupping her chubby cheeks between her hands."How are you here? How? I- I watched you die!" She let out a choked sob as she pressed her forehead against Gracie's. "I watched you die." she whispered._

 _An excited giggle bubbled from Gracie's lips as she took hold of Kiara's hand and tugged on it. "Come on! You promised you'd play!"_

 _"Welcome home, Baby." Kiara immediately froze as she saw a woman appear behind Gracie, a kind smile on her lips as she approached Kiara whose lip began to tremble._

 _"Mom?"_

 _Her Mom gripped her hard and pulled her into a tight hug, the contact preventing Kiara from retaining any of her composure as tears freely spilled down her cheeks, her hands gripping the back of her Mom's shirt. "Oh, my poor baby. My brave, brave girl."_

 _With that, Kiara's hackles immediately raised and she ripped out of her Mother's grasp, a dark look in her eyes as she backed away from her Mother and Sister, her sense coming back to her. She knew them from many broken memories of who she had been before HYDRA, but they looked so much different from how they'd been during their deaths which she remembered so vividly._

 _Gracie had been so emaciated and weak the last time she'd seen her. She was so thin that her skin stretched tight against her bones which had protruded so clearly. She had been skeletal during her death, a striking difference to the healthy, happy girl she saw before her. As for her Mother, well she looked mostly the same, except there was no bullet wound in her head, no blood pooling around her or lifeless eyes. That's how she remembered both her parents, lifeless, but also blasé to the threat to their children's lives._

 _She barely remembered the parents who loved all their children so dearly. She couldn't remember the picture of a family the room had so clearly painted for her. A loving, caring, tight-knit family. All she could remember was her parents choosing their countries over the lives and the freedom of their only children. That was what she remembered, and as much as she longed for her family, the memory of their betrayal had stuck with her throughout the years of her captivity. It had haunted her._

 _"You don't love me, my Darling?"_

 _"I don't trust you." she hissed, her eyes showing no kindness. "I love you more than anything, but I can't trust you. Not after what you did to us. To me!"_

 _A solemn look came to her Mother's face as she brushed her hair from her face before taking Kiara's hand. "I can never forgive myself for what we did to you. It was a misjudgement. We didn't foresee Valcov's cruelty, nor his madness. We couldn't even imagine that he would treat you the way he did." She reached out to stroke Kiara's cheek, but she flinched away._

 _Kiara let out a deep sigh before she turned away from her Mother and approached her little sister who was happily playing with her toys. She watched her giggle and look between her toys and Kiara with bright eyes which were full of life. Her heart clenched at the sight, as she desperately wanted to accept this reality, but she knew it wasn't real. She knew neither of them were really there._

 _"Am I dead?"_

 _"Almost." said her Mom, coming to sit on the couch beside them. "You're in between planes. You haven't fully passed over yet."_

 _"Why?" Kiara breathed, rubbing her eyes with frustration. She knew she had died flying the missile into space, with either the lack of oxygen or the flames bringing an end to her life, but she hadn't expected anything after that. She'd expected darkness and nothing more, she certainly hadn't expected being stuck between 'planes'. "Why can't I just die?"_

 _"A part of you has, Baby. That's why you're here." Her Mother dropped to her knees in front of her and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look at her through her watery and tired eyes. "A part of you is dead and it has passed on, but you aren't ready yet."_

 _"I am!" she cried pleadingly. "I'm tired, Mom. I'm so, so tired."_

 _"I know." Her Mom cried too as she pulled her close and stroked her hair, letting her sob against her chest. "I know, Baby. But you have so much left to do." Kiara sniffled and glanced up at her Mom who smiled and wiped away the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "I've seen it. I've seen who and what you will become. My daughter. My beautiful, strong girl. What a life you are going to live. What love you are going to know."_

 _"But I have no one left. You're all gone."_

 _Her Mother let out a laugh and shook her head at her silliness. "Really? Then what do you call Clint and Natasha, hm? It pains me to say, but they have been better family to you than we ever were. They protected you and helped you when you needed it. And they miss you. Just as I know you miss them." Kiara's eyes turned downcast. If she was to die, she would miss them so much. She hadn't even been able to say goodbye._

 _"Things will change, Baby. In ways you can't even imagine, but you will be okay. And you will never be alone." Her Mom glanced out the window and saw the sky beginning to brighten to a blinding white. She let out a sad sigh before resting her forehead against Kiara's. "I love you, and I wish you could stay, but you're not ready. We'll both be here when you are. We'll wait for you."_

 _Kiara glanced at her Mother and saw the white light beginning to surround her. She shook her head violently and begged for her not to leave, but as she reached to grab a hold of her, her hand met nothing but air. Kiara let out a choke sob as she saw her Mother give her one final smile before the light became so blinding that she looked away, her eyes snapping shut to avoid the burn to them._

Kiara suddenly gasped for breath, her eyes snapping open as her lungs began filling with lost air. Two figures immediately rushed to her side, but she could barely make them out as her eyes rolled, only taking in the blinding white ceiling and the two dark figures above her before her eyes finally adjusted and the two figures became very familiar.

"Oh thank god!" yelled Clint as he crushed her into a hug. Kiara panted as she tried to fill her lungs, her shaking hand just managing to grip onto Clint who smoothed down her hair in an attempt to calm her down. "You're okay, Squirt! You're okay. Just breathe."

"I'm trying but you're crushing me." Clint released her and her panting settle into long, shaky breaths, but her mind was still clouded by what had happened; She'd died, or almost died at least, and she'd seen her Mom. She'd explained so much, about how she hadn't been ready to die, despite her desperate attempts to, and she'd answered a lot of questions she'd had, and yet, she'd still been so vague and cryptic that Kiara was still clueless. She would've thought it a dream, but even she knew better than that.

Natasha knocked Kiara out of her reverie as she pulled her in for another crushing hug. "I thought I'd lost you again. Why would you do that?" Kiara frowned as she felt Natasha's shoulders shaking before her nose picked up the salty scent of her tears which only made guilt wrack through her body. "Why do you keep trying to get yourself killed?" In all the years she'd known Natasha, she'd never seen her cry, in fact, she didn't even think she was capable of it, and she'd never raised her voice in anger. So, the feel of her quivering shoulders and the sound of her yelling mixed with her choked cries made her heart clench painfully.

She finally wrapped her arms around Natasha and held her close. "I'm so sorry. I just- he...he didn't deserve to die." she muttered, making Natasha scoff as she pulled away and stared straight into her eyes.

"And neither did you. I wish you could see that. I wish you could see just how loved you are."

Kiara gave her a small smile as she shrugged. Natasha shook her head but moved to allow Kiara to get up off the bed and roll out her shoulders. "Yeah, I'm starting to get that. Seems like my Mom had the same idea." She let out a long breath and eyed the surroundings, recognising it to be a Helicarrier infirmary.

"What?" blurted Clint, suddenly standing.

"Nothing, nothing." She waved him off before turning to face them, her eyebrow raising with curiosity. "So...What happened exactly?"

"Well, after your little suicide attempt, Stark flew through the portal to get you and just managed to pull you through before it closed. The Chitauri all shut down, and we managed to capture Loki. SHIELD's currently on major damage control." Clint explained, but Kiara had zoned out almost immediately. Tony had come after her? Tony had saved her? Even after everything he thought about her. They'd fought together, but it was different. Battle was different, there were bigger problems to deal with than personal issues. But when it came down to her life, she thought he would be first in a long line to cheer the end of her life, not try and prevent it.

"How long have I been out? I mean...how long has it been since New York?"

"It's been two days. The first day we thought you weren't gonna make it." A sad look came to Clint's eyes and once again, guilt consumed her. "You were officially dead a few times, but you kept coming back until you finally stabilised this morning."

Two days. She couldn't believe she'd been out for two days, when it had felt like mere hours she was with her Mom and Sister. It felt like a few fleeting seconds, and yet she had been all but dead for two long days. With a frown, Kiara finally took in Clint and Natasha's appearances; Both of them had changed into comfier clothes, but neither of them looked like they'd had a wink of sleep. Black circles surrounded their eyes and their skin had paled ever so slightly, but enough for her to worry. Both of them were hunched and despite their full attention being on her, they looked like they were about to drop from exhaustion.

 _'They have been a better family to you than we ever were.'_

As her Mother's words ran through her head, Kiara could barely process her own movements before she rushed forward and threw her arms around the two of them. For years, she'd considered herself alone in the world, with not a single person by her side to give her any love at all, but she could see now that she had been so, so far from the truth. Even when she was at SHIELD, Natasha and Clint had fought for her and loved her so fiercely but she'd been so blinded by her own self-hatred to see it. They'd loved her enough to make sure to look after her. They'd loved her enough to risk their jobs in order to save her life. And they loved her enough to stay by her side for so long.

"I'm sorry I worried you, and I'm sorry I've been so blind to everything." she whispered, her throat tightening. "I love you, you know? I really do. I love you both so much." She pulled away from them and took a deep breath before giving them a stern look. "That said, please go and get some rest, I've kept you up long enough as it is."

"But-"

"But nothing. It's been a long week for everyone, you need to rest. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." They both stared at her for a few moments before finally relenting, unable to completely disregard their exhaustion. They both headed for the door, pressing lingering kisses to her forehead, before disappearing down the hallway. Kiara sighed before collapsing down on her bed, her hand coming up to massage her tired, aching eyes. She was exhausted, but also relieved. It was finally over, and they'd won. That was enough to settle her. It had been one long, insane rollercoaster from beginning to end, she'd been injured more times than she cared to admit, she'd been constantly worried since Fury had her captured back in Sao Paulo, and she'd fought harder than ever before. The whole ordeal had left her exhausted despite her two day 'sleep' and it had also left her stinking.

Kiara's nose crinkled as the stench of blood, sweat and dirt hit her like a brick wall. She gagged before pushing herself off the bed and headed straight for the bathroom to freshen herself up. She pulled off the grimy gown and stepped into the shower, letting out a long hum the moment the hot water hit her skin. Her muscles immediately relaxed as the scalding water bit at her skin. She simply rested back against the cool wall, letting the blood which caked her dark skin wash down the drain. She was content just staring at the blank wall and scrubbing at her body until it stung. She was fine, relaxed, but she couldn't ignore everything that had happened. It just didn't seem to want to leave her mind. Regardless of her relief that it had ended, she couldn't ignore the battle, or the death she'd encountered, or the sight of the thousands of troops that had been heading straight for the portal.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Kiara pressed her hands against her stinging eyes before shoving herself off the wall and switching off the shower, knowing she would only put herself into a dark mood if she stayed in there any longer. She padded around the bathroom, brushing her teeth and heating her body enough to dry off before throwing on some baggy SHIELD clothes she'd found.

She was halfway out the door, hoping to get some proper sleep, before her hackles raised. She whirled around, her hand clamping around the intruders neck, as a shield surrounded her, though it dropped just as quick the moment she saw whose throat she was crushing. Fury simply cocked an eyebrow as she released his throat and stepped away from him.

"How is it so easy to sneak up on you now?" he wondered, his lips curling into a smirk.

"I was distracted." she defended, moving to sit down on the now-cleared bed. "So...to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Fury sat on the seat opposite and clasped his hands together before sitting forward, eyeing her seriously. "I thought I told you not to do anything stupid."

Kiara fought a groan. "You also told me to make the right choice. To make the choice that would define me." she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I couldn't just let him die, Nick. I couldn't."

The man still looked like he wanted to bite her head off, but a flicker of understanding passed through his eye, and when she saw his shoulders slump a little, she knew she was in the clear. "I know. You're too good, kid, you always have been. Even to the ones who don't deserve it." Fury sat back and gave her a small, and rare smile. "I wanted to thank you. You _deserve_ a thank you. I mostly forced you to come back here, even though I knew you hated it. Even though it put you in danger, but you helped anyway. You saved a lot of people that day."

Kiara kept her eyes glued to the floor as she pushed a stray hair out of her face. "You kept your side of the bargain, so I will keep mine; The second you step off this boat, you are free to go. You won't be tailed by us, and we'll leave you be regardless of what happens."

Kiara's eyes brightened as she heard his words, a huge smile spreading across her face as she thought about all she would be able to do without being followed. "So I'm good? I'm free to go?"

Fury chuckled but nodded. "Yeah, you're good. You're a giant pain in the ass, but you're good. I'll need you to stay around a little longer, though. Just for a debriefing."

"Sure." She gave him a short nod and a smile as he stood and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

"I'll let you rest for now, but if you find me later, we'll get your debrief done as quickly as possible." Kiara gave him another nod. "Oh, and by the way, Stark's outside. He wanted to talk to you. That alright?"

A look of surprise came to her face at Fury's words, her eyes snapping to the door before she gave him a short nod. "Yeah, no problem. Send him in."

"Alright. But after that, rest up, kid."

He gave her a sharp look before disappearing out of the door. She kept her eyes locked on the grey metal, before it opened again, and Tony Stark entered. She'd expected his usual dapper, confident appearance, but what she found was a tired, injured man in his place. He looked scruffy and worn out, as though he hadn't slept either. His hair was unkempt, cuts and bruises littered his pale skin, and he stood with little poise, but he seemed to be in a daze as he stared at the floor.

"You're alive." he breathed.

"No thanks to you." she drawled, a small smile coming to her lips.

"I heard you'd woken up, and I had to come and speak to you." he muttered, leaning against door. Kiara looked at him, but he did not meet her eyes. "I've had two days to try and figure out why you did what you did. There were so many reasons that I thought of but none made sense. Not a single one. So, I came to ask you why. Why did you stop me from flying that goddamn missile into the portal? Why after everything that I said to you would you want to make sure I lived?"

He finally met her eyes, and they were filled with nothing but guilt. And for a moment, it shocked her. He was Tony Stark, the famed Iron Man who had a reputation for arrogance and narcissism, and yet here he stood, unable to believe why anyone would save his life. Why anyone would sacrifice themselves for him.

And then she realised...They were just the same. She was infamous for the atrocities that she had committed, and people treated her in reflection of that, despite her true self. While Enyo performed them without care, Kiara Monroe wouldn't. She wouldn't even dream of it, but few people knew it. She assumed the same with Tony. Perhaps he wasn't the narcissist that everyone, including himself, believed him to be.

"For the same reason why you pulled me out." she whispered. "Neither of us deserved to die."

"And you almost got yourself killed anyway."

She laughed to herself and shrugged. "Well, my mindset has changed in the last 48 hours." He didn't return her smile. "Tony, I knocked you out of the way because I knew that there was someone waiting for you. I knew you had a family to get back to, and I have torn apart too many of them to let the same thing happen to yet another. Between the two of us, you didn't deserve that end, and perhaps neither did I. But I will never forgive myself for the things I did. Death would have been more peaceful, but clearly the world has other plans for me."

Tony swallowed deeply, his eyebrows knitting together as he looked at her as though he was trying to figure her out. Which he was. He couldn't understand her, not matter how much she tried. She wasn't so black and white, not so easy to figure out as so many other people. She confused him. "Did you kill those people?"

"Yes." she said quietly, her head dropping with shame. "But not knowingly or willingly."

Tony studied her for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Then I'm sorry. You saved my ass back there, and you saved a lot of innocent people. I don't think that's what a killer would do. I don't know what happened to you, but I'm pretty sure you are not your past. So, I'm sorry. For everything I said. And thank you, for thinking of Elena."

Kiara couldn't hide the smile that broke out across her face at his words. There was no denying that she'd been hurt by what he'd said to her all those days ago, but she didn't blame him. She didn't blame any of them for thinking that way, but knowing that someone else could see past everything she'd been forced to do made her at least a little bit happier. "Thank you for pulling me back out."

He waved her off before taking a seat opposite her, his entire form visibly relaxing before he peered at her curiously. "So, what will you do now?"

"I don't know." she said honestly, suddenly thrown by the question. She'd been so preoccupied with everything else that was happening, that she hadn't really thought about what would happen afterwards, where she would go, what she would see. She didn't have any money, so she would have to improvise. "Travel, I think. See the world. Maybe head to Wakanda...see where my roots come from."

"Wakanda?" Tony blurted, shock written across his face.

"Yeah, I know." she chuckled. "Well, I don't have a home to go to, so I might as well start there. See where my Mom grew up."

Something flashed in his eyes but it was gone before she could register it. He settled her with a smile, before giving her a short nod. Yeah, she thought, Wakanda would be good.

Barely a day had passed since she had woke up, and it was finally time for the Avengers to part ways. She had given a debrief of the entire battle, and of what she had seen in the Portal. It wasn't much fun reliving everything that had happened, but it was necessary and she wanted it to be done as quickly as possible so she could leave.

Though there was one last thing to be done.

Without much persuasion, Thor had convinced Fury to allow him to take Loki and the Tesseract back to Asgard. Originally, she had wanted to leave as soon as possible, but she couldn't pass up the chance to see Loki defeated and headed for a punishment she was sure exceeded anything Earth could give him. And she couldn't deny that seeing that damn cube gone would give her immense satisfaction.

So, that's what brought her to Central Park, on a beautiful, sunny morning. A wide smirk on her face as she and the other Avengers strolled to the centre of Bethesda Terrace, and planted herself right in front of a chained and muzzled Loki. He looked just as impressive and striking as he did when she'd first seen him, bar the few bruises and cuts which now covered him, and she noticed the fear in his eyes which only made it even more enjoyable. It was incredible to her, how this man, this God, who had tormented her since his arrival, was now reduced to fear and chains.

Slowly, she stepped towards him and cocked her head as he eyed her cautiously. Her lips twitched slightly as she stared at him, his face flashing between the many men who had attempted to control her and manipulate her over the years. Each one of them she'd escaped and torn down in her wake, and Loki was no different. His failed attempt at manipulating her and tearing her down was no different to any of the others. And it elated her. "Don't look so disappointed, Darling. You never stood a chance." She stepped back, a wide smirk on her face as he glowered at her. "Enjoy jail!"

Natasha snickered from beside her as they watched Thor approach Loki and offer him the handle of the Tesseract's casket. They all stepped back as Thor gave them a nod of farewell before he twisted the handle, causing a blinding blue light to surround them, beginning to pulling them up to the Heavens. Kiara grinned as she watched them disappear before turning to Natasha and Clint who looked just as pleased as she did. "Guess this is it, huh?"

"For now." corrected Clint. "We expect a visit from you as often as possible. We just got you back, you're not gonna get away as easy again."

"I'll check in, I promise." She laughed as she was pulled into a hug by them both. She gripped onto them tightly, enjoying the last few moments before they parted.

"Be safe or I'll kick your ass." yelled Natasha as she watched Kiara walk away.

"Yes, Mother!"

Kiara chuckled to herself and waved Tony and Bruce off before stopping in front of Steve who stood up straight as she came closer. "Need a ride?" He nodded down to his bike and Kiara cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. What kind of man would I be if I didn't offer a lady a ride?" he joked, slipping his hands into his pockets.

She folded her arms and shot him a smirk. "I thought I told you I wasn't a lady?"

"Well you sure look like one to me." he shot back before he stood and held his hand out to her. "Come on, I'll take you anywhere you wanna go."

Kiara pursed her lips, debating whether or not to go. She had intended to just walk to midtown, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to get there a bit quicker. Rolling her eyes, Kiara gently pushed his hand away and sat herself down on the back of his bike while he chuckled at her stubbornness and climbed on himself. As he kickstarted the bike, he looked over his shoulder at Kiara and shot her a charming smile. "Hold on. I don't want you falling off."

She scoffed and shook her head at his teasing. "Please, I'm not gon-" Suddenly, he revved the engine and shot off making her screech and grip his shoulders to stop herself from falling backwards. Steve roared with laughter while she glared at the back of his head. "That wasn't funny."

"I did tell you to hold on." Sucking her teeth, Kiara moved her arms around his waist and felt the rumbling laughter from his chest. "So, where do you want me to drop you?"

"Midtown."

"Midtown?" he repeated, shock evident in his voice. "Why are you heading back?"

"Well I thought I should help with the clean up before I go anywhere. It might just get the job done quicker and save some hassle." she told him, finally relaxing a little more on the bike. "I have the rest of my life to explore, I suppose."

"That's...kind of you."

"Don't sound so surprised, Rogers. I can be nice when I want to be." She snickered as he started to stutter and stumble over his words before eventually sighing deeply in defeat. "What about you, Cap? Where are you headed?"

"D.C. Fury offered me a place at SHIELD. I guess it would be best for me to go back to what I know." he replied, but even she heard the hint of sadness in his voice. And she somewhat understood what it was like to wake up in a different time.

"It will be good for you. At least until you settle down, I guess." she said, gripping him tighter as he skidded to a stop. Glancing up, Kiara saw that they were at a part of Midtown that wasn't too destroyed, but rubble was scatted all over the streets, and buildings were either completely destroyed or falling apart. It baffled her that mere days ago, they were fighting an alien army on the very same streets, in fact, the mere sight made her stomach churn.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" Steve questioned, looking back at her with concern as he watched panic and fright flash across her face before finally settling on nausea. "Kiara...?"

"Oh!" Her eyes snapped down to Steve who was giving her that pitiful look again. "Thanks for the ride."

She hopped off quickly and steadied herself before turning to Steve who was smiling. "My pleasure." he said sincerely before cocking his head at her. "Do you think you'll keep in touch?"

"Do you want me to keep in touch?" she countered, enjoying the pink tinge that came to his cheeks. He started stumbling over his words making her laugh to herself before she nodded. "Yes, I'll keep in touch if you'd like."

"Thank you." he muttered before thrusting his hand out to her.

Kiara raised an eyebrow and glanced down at his hand before she pushed it away again and placed a brief, gentle kiss to his cheek. "See you around, Cap." She stepped away from him with a salute before turning on her heel and sauntering into the chaos, leaving a speechless Steve in her wake.

 **A/N: Okay. End of the Avengers film, officially, so we'll be moving on to the events before and during Iron Man 3. I'm still working on a summary for the book, so hopefully it will be changed soon, but this will be a Steve Rogers x OC book. There are other characters who will be coming in to and mentioned during the book that aren't necessarily part of the MCU. Also, throughout, I'll be working on other characters for other books, so watch out for them! Anyways! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you as always for the reads and feedback, and leave a review! Don't be shy! I love them! Have a good week, nuggets!**

 _Edited: 03/02/2019_


	13. Authors Note

Hello, my Nuggets! How're you all doing? I know you haven't heard anything from me for a while and I'm sorry for that.

I've had really bad writers block, but I've been planning the story in my absence. I've figured out other characters, and got a solid plan for the spin-offs from this series. As of right now, you will be getting Loki, Peter Parker, Thor, and Tony Stark stories. I've managed to flesh out these characters and their backstories. Hopefully you'll love them.

Also, I've edited the published chapters to get them as perfect as possible, and to remind myself of the writing style and where I need to start back up for Chapter 12. I'm currently working on it as we speak, and I'm hoping to get it to you for mid Feb, so look out for it.

Finally, I've started up an Instagram for my stories, to keep you all updates and such. So give it a follow if you'd like. My user is G. .

So, with all that being said, I'm really sorry I haven't been active, and Im hoping I can make it up to you with more regular updates. Thank you all for the reviews, the reads, and the follows. I love seeing them, and it really cheers me up.

Happy New Year!

G.C.Z


	14. Chapter 12 - A New Beginning

**A/N: Happy Valentines Day! Here's my gift to you, My Darling Readers! And of course, this is my trigger warning for dark and graphic details in the first part of the chapter. If you don't want to read it, just skip to the end of the italics. Thank you for being so patient with me, and I hope you like this filler chapter. Enjoy!**

 _A soft, melodious hum is what woke her up. It was utterly unusual and Kiara knew there was something wrong, but it was so gentle and calming that it settled whatever suspicions she had. With a small frown marring her features, Kiara's eyes fluttered open and she found herself standing within the same familiar four walls that had haunted her dreams for the past few weeks. The same childish drawings were propped up on the mantelpiece, the same odd furniture and terrible knitwear littered around. And the same bright indigo glow covered the room like a cloak. Her heart dropped with dread as she awaited the inevitable appearance of her Mother and Sister._

 _As usual, it didn't take long for one of them to show up. And it became painfully obvious who was there to torment her when she heard the haunting hum from the doorway. Tears pricked at her eyes as she lowered them to the floor, refusing to look at her Mother, a woman who was not truly there. She kept her back turned and her eyes lowered despite every whisper and touch as her Mother came closer, her hands finally settling on her tear-stained cheeks._

 _"Why are you so sad, Baby? I'm here now."_

 _Kiara shook her head hard, biting down on her lip to fight the sob at her words. "No you're not. It's just my head. It's just my head." she whispered, trying hard to pull out of her Mother's grasp but the woman didn't let her go. Kiara gripped her hands and tried to rip them from her face, but they wouldn't budge, no matter how hard she tried._

 _"That's right, Little Wolf. You're all alone."_

 _Kiara immediately froze, a chill running down her spine as she finally found enough courage to lock eyes with her Mother. They were cold and cruel, nothing like she'd ever seen them before, and the nasty smile on her face was frightening. Her heart began pounding hard as she stepped back, attempting to rip her Mother's hands from her face, but she had a vice-like grip on her and refused to let go._

 _"You're all alone. You're all alone. You're all alone."_

 _Kiara cried out as her Mother's nails dug into her skin as she shook her violently, her voice becoming louder and louder as she repeated herself. The words came like a stab in the heart, hearing the reality coming from her Mother's mouth. She knew she had people. She had Natasha and Clint, but she couldn't deny the truth. She was the last Monroe. She had no blood family left. Her parents were dead, her Sister, her Brothers. All of them gone. She knew it was only her brain. It was all in her head, none of it was real. But it was still so terrifying. And the pain felt just as raw._

 _"Stop it!" she yelled, trying desperately to wake up. She shook her head hard, her entire form trembling as her Mother gripped harder and screamed the words into her face._

 _"YOU'RE ALL ALONE."_

 _"STOP IT!"_

 _Kiara screamed in anguish, closing her eyes tight as her Mother brought her face centimetres from hers, letting out the loudest and most piercing scream she'd ever heard. She clamped her hands down hard over her ears, letting out a panicked wail before all fell silent, and two distinct gunshots echoed through the air._

 _Immediately, she froze, the sound ringing painfully in her ears. She waited seconds, waiting to hear anymore movement but there was none. It was silent, with only her own ragged breaths filling the air. She let out a relieved breath, praying it was all over. Tentatively, Kiara opened her eyes before she saw the scene before her and flew back against the wall, letting out a distressed scream._

 _Barely two metres away laid her parents, stiff and still. Just as they had all those years ago. Their dark eyes were wide but void of any sign of life as they stared into nothing. The bullet wounds in their heads painted their skin with blood as it dripped through their thick hair and pooled around them like spilt water, joining at their barely-touching fingers._

 _Kiara gripped her chest, unable to fight the tears which flowed freely down her cheeks. Seeing it again so vividly brought a pain even worse than the moment it happened. She had been so young then that she hadn't really understood what had happened, she just knew that her parents were hurt, and then she never saw them again. Having to face their bodies once again felt as though someone had torn her heart out. It was torture and she knew from the moment a gentle hand touched her trembling shoulder that it would only become worse._

 _"Come play!"_

 _Kiara let out a quiet whimper as her Sister's soft voice flittered by her. The young girl began tugging on her arm but Kiara just kept shaking her head, but before she could fight the girl, she began dragging her away from the wall. Kiara pulled against the toddler, but just as before, her attempt was futile. It was as though she had no control over any part of her body as she was forced to keep walking, following Gracie to wherever she wanted to go, and once she opened her eyes, she saw exactly where she was being taken._

 _Gone was the blood and the bodies of her parents, and in their place was a single, plain wooden coffin upon a catafalque. Once again, recognition and dread stabbed at her heart as her feet trudged one at a time towards it._

 _"Oh God. Gracie no. Please."_

 _She bit down hard on her already raw lip, more tears brimming in her eyes as she came closer and closer. She fought with herself to look away or stop, but nothing worked. Her body seemed to be possessed, intent on seeing the horror which laid in the box. She knew what was coming, of course, she'd replayed the scene a thousand times in her head. Valcov had ensured that her memory was faultless, and it was one of many horrors she would be unable to forget._

 _"Gracie, please!"_

 _Kiara mustered all the strength she could to look away once Gracie stopped in front of the coffin. She wanted to badly to turn her head and avoid the sight, or keep her eyes tightly closed until she woke up, but she was utterly powerless._

 _"Come play, Kiara!"_

 _She choked out a cry once she was forced to stare into the box, the emaciated and lifeless body of her baby sister laying awkwardly inside. Her once glistening skin was now dull and tightly-stretched against her prominent bones. Despite the clothes which hung from her like sacs, most of Gracie's bones were clearly seen, as were the dozens of mark which covered her. Horrific burn marks_ _scarred her skin, while cuts and needle pricks littered her arms and wrists, all of which had contributed to her death._

 _Kiara's lip trembled as she placed a gentle hand against Gracie's cheek, feeling the course, raised, cold skin against her fingertips. Her cheeks were once chubby and warm from the girl's unwavering excitement, and it was so wrong to see her this way. It was so painful. None of them deserved what had happened to them, she knew that well, but Gracie was the youngest of them all, having been a little over two when she died. Her body had been starved and put under so much stress that it was too much for her to handle. To Valcov, she'd just been wasted potential, but she meant so much more than that. She would always be more than that._

 _"I'm so sorry, Gracie. I'm so sorry I didn't protect you."_

 _A few stray tears dropped from her eyes as she gently brushed her thumb against her cheek. She leant down to press a soft kiss to her forehead, but before she could, a sharp pain shot into her back, forcing her forward. However, she didn't fall into her Sister's coffin, instead, she fell right into the arms of the man she'd hoped to never see again._

 _Loki gave her a charming grin as he gripped the the dagger in her back, pulling her closer to him so she was flush against his chest, her hands coming to grip his biceps as the pain began to spread. Loki brought his other hand up to brush a few stray hairs behind her ear._

 _"Such a disappointment. You were supposed to be my prize asset. My horrifying monster. Instead, you're this. Weak. Vulnerable. That isn't how I raised you, my Little Wolf. Not at all."_

 _Kiara's eyes widened with fear as she stared into Loki's deep green eyes, finding nothing but darkness behind them. His lips spread into a wide, taunting grin before he plunged another dagger straight into her stomach._

 _She let out a strangled gasp, unable to scream or cry despite the agonising pain taking over. She tasted the metallic liquid filling her mouth as Loki let out a magical laugh, his entire form trembling with amusement as he gripped the handle. Kiara, just as she had during the battle, attempted to get away and fight him, but she could barely muster the strength to keep standing. Her legs buckled beneath her but Loki kept a firm grip on her, and she was forced to look up at his crazed expression, the grin so wide it looked as though it might split his face into two._

 _However, that was the last thing that frightened her, especially when his unmistakable eyes began to darken to black, and his features began to melt from his face like wax. She whimpered quietly before freezing when she saw a new face take Loki's, and it was one she knew so well._

 _Dr. Valcov appeared before her, his black, beady eyes examining her from head to toe as she did the same to him. He looked no different from the monster she remembered him as. He was still short and ratty in appearance, his grey hair straggly and dirty. The bile rose in her throat as she looked upon his blood-tainted lab coat and felt her stomach turn with disgust._

 _"You look frightened, Little Wolf." he purred, cupping her cheek in his calloused hands. She stared back at him with tearful eyes, her entire frame trembling with fear. It felt as though she was a young girl again, awaiting his latest torture. She had always wanted to run or fight him, kill him. But she'd lacked the strength. Every time he came anywhere close to her, he just regarded her with those dark eyes and she would be frozen with fear. Helpless and weak, simply waiting for his command._

 _"Is it because you know you've disappointed me? Because you know that had I been here, there would be no tears, no weakness, no pointless ties. You've grown careless, Little Wolf. You've become human. But you never will be. You know that. You can thank me for that._

 _"No matter how you stand among them, no matter what you do to save them, you'll never be one of them. You're no hero, Dear, you're a monster. You're exactly how I made you. Nothing you can do will change that."_

 _"No." Kiara whimpered, shaking her head defiantly as she managed to push out of his arm, the pain having disappeared. She stumbled away from him as she gripped her head, fighting his voice as it echoed through her mind, a constant reminder of what she was. She breathed heavily as panic and fear completely possessed her. She rocked herself back and forth, shamelessly sobbing as she tried to pull herself once again from the torture of her own mind._

 _"It's all in my head. It's just in my head! Come on, Kiara! Wake up! Wake up!"_

 _"It's time to wake up, Little Wolf."_

Kiara lurched forward, sucking in a desperate breath before she jumped to attention, searching around her wildly for any sign of Valcov. When she only found the empty space in which she'd fallen asleep, Kiara fell to her knees as relief washed over her. With a trembling hand, she cleared her cheeks of tears and gave herself a few moments to calm down, already used to the routine she had to perform every morning.

It had been a few weeks since the battle in New York, and every night since then, she had been tormented by nightmares every time she dared to close her eyes. They weren't always the same; Sometimes they features her family, others her time with HYDRA, and most of the time, flashes of the battle would fill her head. The screeches of the Chitauri, the panic of the people, and the deep, suffocating darkness of space.

Sighing, Kiara pushed herself up from her make-shift bed and rolled her shoulders as she headed towards the windows, glancing out at the bustling city. She had decided to stay in New York despite all the terrible memories it held. So many people had lost their homes and businesses due to the invasion, and she felt compelled to help clear the streets of all destruction. It wasn't the best choice to help her get over her nightmares, but it was the least she could do to help the people who had lost so much during a fight that wasn't their own.

Kiara ruffled her already messy hair before heading to grab a relaxing shower before she changed into some semi-clean clothes for the day. Once she was ready, she cracked the window just enough before leaping in the air, allowing her body to shrink and transform into a small bird before flying out. Her little wings fluttered as she soared over the city, looking for the familiar clean-up truck around midtown. Over the few weeks since the battle had occurred, a lot of the wreckage had been cleared and the city was in the process of being rebuilt (something she couldn't help with), but with there still being Chitauri Technology within the rubble, the Government had issued the Stark Industries' organisation, Damage Control, to take over clean up to ensure no more technology made its way into civilian hands. Since the clean-up had began, she'd been assisting where she could, either in tracking the Chitauri Technology, lifting anything heavy or washing down the streets. The crews had been a little apprehensive at first, but eventually they'd caved, and she'd found a way to help where she could, and soothe her conscience just a little bit.

It wasn't long before she spotted the distinctive blue van and as she swooped down towards it, she immediately spotted the familiar faces of Ava and Brett, two of the crew which she'd worked alongside for the past few weeks. With a hiss, Kiara transformed back into herself and dropped onto the large chunk of debris next to Ava, earning a squawk of fright from both of them. She gave them a small wave as she rolled her aching shoulders. Despite how long it had been since she'd transformed again, her body was still getting used to the odd feeling again.

"I wish you'd stop doing that. You're gonna give me a damn heart attack, girl." Brett huffed out, his thick moustache twitching with annoyance. Kiara simply shot him a grin before she turned to Ava who passed her a small paper bag which omitted the most delicious smell, her mouth instantly watering.

"I picked you something up on my way over, thought you might be hungry."

Kiara cocked an eyebrow at her before peeling away the foil layer to find a breakfast burrito. Instantly, a smile came to her face as she glanced back up at Ava who had shoved her hands into her pockets. "You're a woman after my own heart, Collins. Thank you."

She shot her a wink as she bit into the burrito and she certainly didn't miss the pink tinge that came to her cheeks before she turned away quickly. Kiara wasn't stupid, she knew the woman had a thing for her. She'd noticed the lingering looks and the blushing, and Brett had called her out enough times on her blatant flirting that it was impossible to be oblivious to it. But Kiara didn't mind it, and she couldn't deny that she enjoyed Ava's company and found her very attractive, even in her dirty overalls.

She had beautiful dark olive skin which seemed to be a canvas for the intricate tattoos which she proudly donned. Her hair had been dyed a dark blue and cropped into a stylish pixie cut but with the amount of times she blew stray hairs from her face, Kiara wondered how long it would be before she cut her fringe completely off. She had more piercings than Kiara could count, and her eyes were like pools of honey. Despite how guarded she'd come across when they first met, it was her eyes that told Kiara everything she needed to know. She saw goodness in her, from the worry which shined in them whenever any of the guys did something utterly reckless, or the hope in them such as when she'd handed her breakfast. She wasn't perfect, and she was sure she'd had her fair share of struggles throughout her life, but she was a good and pure soul and she deserves someone who was just the same.

Which was exactly why Kiara wouldn't allow herself to let their flirting go any further. She would ruin her, and what Ava deserved, she couldn't provide. Besides, no matter their ties, being in Kiara's world was dangerous, and chaotic, and more pain than she was worth. No, Kiara wouldn't ruin someone else, not even for a few hours of numbness.

"You're early this morning." commented Brett as he leant against his shovel. Kiara gave him a shrug as she devoured her breakfast.

"I woke up earlier than expected." she replied, not too eager to tell them the reason behind it. "Figured I might as well get here sooner."

Brett eyed her with suspicion before he let out a quiet grunt and jutted his chin towards the huge pile of debris a few metres from them. "Well then you better get started."

Kiara nodded before hopping off the rock and heading over to the pile. It was from what was an apartment building. It had been decimated by the huge ships which had once dominated the skies. They had cut down the buildings with ease, and all that was left in their wake were piles and piles of rubble littered with personal belongings, shattered glass, and, from what she could sense, plenty of Chitauri tech.

When she'd flown the nuke into the wormhole, it had blown up the mother ship, and from what she'd been told, that had caused a ricochet effect on the rest of the Chitauri, shutting them and their weapons down. However, the power of them still stood out like a neon light to her, and she wasn't so sure that they were as safe as everyone thought they were, so she was more than happy to take the lead in recovering them.

With a hum, Kiara started working, easily falling into her routine with the other crew as they gradually began cleaning up. Even with her enhanced physiology it was hard work, and she had to remain steady handed and gentle when handling the weapons which had to be locked away in security boxes to prevent any civilian injury.

Hours passed easily with everyone putting their back into clearing yet another part of midtown, and before long, their day was drawing to a close. As the rest of the crew were sweeping up and washing down the roads, Kiara walked the final weapon to the truck and secured it in its box. She let out a relieved sigh as she rubbed her neck, trying to relieve the kink that had formed in it from hours of digging and lifting.

"Hey, good work today."

Kiara glanced over her shoulder and smiled as she spotted Ava coming to lean against the truck beside her, her face and clothes dirtied with dust. "Yeah, you too. We're working through it pretty quick, huh?"

"Brett reckons a few more days of work and Midtown'll be totally cleared. Maybe things will go back to normal after that." Ava said hopefully, glancing around at the clear road. They'd done a good job, but there was still a lot to do before it looked like it did before. Huge cracks and deep crevices were dotted all over the street, and the destruction of the buildings left a blatant hole.

"I don't think it'll ever be normal again. The whole city is scarred- the whole world has been scarred from this. I think its gonna take more than rebuilding to heal what happened here. People lost a lot. They lost too much." Kiara swallowed deeply, a feeling of guilt suddenly gripping at her heart.

She'd fought hard during the battle. She'd fought so, so hard. But it didn't seem like it had made a shred of difference. Every single member of the Avengers had put their lives on the line and done everything they could to contain the violence and protect as many people as possible, but there was still so much loss. The whole city seemed to have been covered with a black cloud, overrun with mourning and anger, and some of it was directed towards the Avengers. People blamed them for not being able to keep them safe, for bringing pain and desolation into their lives. Of course, many didn't. Many were thankful for saving them, but those who had lost so much needed someone to blame. She understood that, and she couldn't blame them for that either.

"What about you?" Ava asked quietly.

Kiara cocked an eyebrow and shot a sly glance towards her. She spotted the look in her eyes and it reminded her of the look that Steve would give her. The pity made her sick to her stomach. She didn't need pity. "What about me?"

"Well...you were involved. You were here. You fought. What about your scars?" Ava's comments were blunt but not cruel. She was just stating what she felt was the truth.

"My scars don't matter, Ava. My trauma is irrelevant. It's nothing compared to this. And quite frankly, it's none of your business." she snapped, her eyes briefly burning red before they soften when she saw the hurt flicker past her eyes. Kiara pushed her hair away from her face and let out a deep sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry-"

Ava simply raised a hand, stopping her before she gave her a small smile. "No...No, I shouldn't have pushed. I'm sorry." She cleared her throat awkwardly before smiling bright. "So, we're all thinking of heading to a bar to grab some drinks. You should come."

"I can't..." Kiara gave her an apologetic look. "I need to get back."

"Oh. Okay. Sure, no problem." Ava burned red and Kiara inwardly winced with guilt. "Have a good night, then."

Before Kiara could even reply, she'd rushed off, leaving her alone in the quiet street. Groaning, Kiara gripped at her hair, frustrated at no one but herself. She snarled with fury before she hunched over, her bones cracking and shifting before a large bird burst from her skin. She ruffled her wings before taking off, flying herself above the high-rises of New York. She dropped her head and soared for what felt like hours and hours, just staring down at the bright, beautiful lights before finally landing upon one of the many skyscrapers. She dropped down, her feet hitting the gravel as she transformed back.

She immediately dropped down and rested her head against her knees as she let out a long, exhausted sigh as the events of the day finally came crashing down on her. It wasn't the first time that she felt so tired with everything, in fact it had been happening more frequently since the battle, and it was those times when she found herself angry. At everything, including herself.

She wished she could work like everyone else and socialise like a normal person, but it was never going to happen, and she was starting to think that it wasn't supposed to. She wasn't built for laughs and drinks in bars, she was built for decimation. She was like a bomb ready to go off amongst civilians and it wasn't natural. She couldn't even become friendly with anyone anymore, and she found herself missing Sao Paulo. It was the one time she could remember feeling any sort of normality. Her powers were subdued and so was her temper. She was bearable, and, at times, kind.

Now, all she did was push people away. She snapped and she put up a barrier to anyone who could possibly attempt to get through. She was a stone cold bitch, and there was no denying it.

"Jesus Christ, Monroe, pull yourself together." she grumbled, staring at the salt-and-pepper pebbles beneath her. She let out a long, drawn out sigh before she was cut off by the familiar sound of thrusters.

Her head quickly shot up and she immediately spotted the unmistakable red and gold metal suit hovering a few metres away from her. "Well, don't you look cheerful."

"Hello Tony."

He dropped down on top of the building and the helmet shot open, revealing Tony's face, a small smile gracing his lips.

"Kiara." He gave her a short nod before the armour opened, allowing him to step out of it. He brushed down his shirt before coming to sit beside her, wincing as the stones poked at him. "Not very comfortable down here."

Kiara just blinked at him before frowning, utterly confused by the situation. "I'm sorry, what's happening?"

"I was just flying back after sorting a few things for the tower when suddenly I saw you. Looking very sad and sorry for yourself, so I thought I'd drop in." he replied, his tone nonchalant before he finally looked at her. "So...Is New York not treating you kindly?"

She just stared back at him for a few moments, debating whether or not to say anything at all, but when he gave her a simple look of persistence, she knew he wasn't going give up. "New York is kicking my ass." Tony hummed. "I thought I could stay for a while, help out, give back. And I am, but I can't help but feel so...I don't know- pointless? There's the clean-up and then there'll be the rebuild, but what will that do? What will it change? It doesn't reverse anything, it's just like sticking tape on a huge crack. It barely fixes it and it certainly doesn't make it go away. It's still there for everyone to see, and its ugly and its glaring and there's nothing anyone can do."

She didn't feel comfortable spilling everything to him. She barely knew him, and her head was screaming for her to shut up, to put that wall back up and block him out, but her words wouldn't stop. They kept coming, and he just sat there and listened. He didn't interrupt or argue, he just listened. At some points she wondered whether he was even listening at all, but when she dared to glance at him, she saw he was watching and listening, every now and again giving her a small nod of understanding.

"I want to keep helping but I don't think I'm safe enough to. I'm so angry all the time. I feel like I could explode at any moment, and what good would it do but cause more pain? I would hurt people, even if I didn't mean to. I'm not safe to be around people, but where else can I go? I don't know where I can go where I'm not a threat."

Finally, her rant came to a stop and she stared out at the city, her shame burning. It was embarrassing to say the least, and it was stupid of her. Tony Stark wasn't her friend, he was barely an associate, and yet, she couldn't help but spill everything that was in her head like he was her best friend in the world. Like she was some child who needed a shoulder to cry on.

For a few moments it was deadly silent, and Kiara felt the shame eating her up inside. She was pleading with any god to just open the earth and swallow her up. She even debated just disappearing to never have to face him again, but just as her thoughts were beginning to eat her up, Tony finally spoke.

"When I came to speak to you after you woke up, I felt so guilty. Ever since I'd read SHIELD's files about you, I was convinced you were some heartless killer. I thought awful things about you, and even as we fought together, I don't think I fully trusted you. I thought you were a liability and a danger to everyone, but I was proved so wrong. I had an inkling from the moment I thought you were going to jump when we were on the Helicarrier. I don't think I'd ever seen anyone look so broken in all my life. But I knew I was truly wrong when you took the nuke yourself."

Kiara finally found the courage to look at him, but she found him staring out at the city, a thoughtful look in his eyes as she listened to him speak, an unmistakable tremor in his voice. "You decided that my life meant far more than yours, and you sacrificed yourself. That action alone saved the whole of Manhattan. It saved more people than you think. And that's not something a dangerous person would do. Not in my eyes. You're reckless and self-destructive, and god knows we have that in common, but you're not dangerous. Not really. I know that now. And I feel that I owe you."

"You don't. I made that choice." Kiara immediately began shaking her head but he stopped her.

"I do, and I want to. Because thanks to you, I got to go home to the woman I love. A lot of people got to go home because of you. And yet, where do you get to go? A crappy apartment one night? An abandoned building another?"

Kiara's eyes grew wide as she stared at him in shock. "You've been stalking me?"

"No." He rolled his eyes. "I've had JARVIS keep tabs on you, and honestly, I don't like what I've seen."

"And you think I do?" she snarled.

"It's sickening, honestly."

"And what the hell do you suggest I do then?" She shot up, her fury sparking as she clenched her fists with irritation every time he gave her an eye roll.

"Live with me."

Kiara opened her mouth to argue before it finally registered what he'd said. "Excuse me?"

"Well, not with me. In the Tower." Tony stood and nodded towards the brightly lit tower in the distance. "I figured that its a little too big for just me and Elena, so I'm repurposing it. It's no longer 'Stark Tower', it is now the new and improved 'Avengers Tower'. It's all purpose built with everything we'll need. A lab, an armoury, training room, debrief room. Theres even a bedroom for everyone, all designed by me, of course."

Tony glanced at her and opened his hands, awaiting a reply. "So, what do you think?"

"I think it sounds expensive." Tony merely scoffed in outrage and shot her a look. "I can't ask you to put me up in some penthouse apartment because we fought together once."

"You're not asking me. I'm asking you. And it's not the penthouse, it's like...the 20th floor, or something. Besides, that's what the people expect now, right? All us 'Avengers' fighting crime and working together? Think of it as HQ. It's home base. It's the 'office'" Kiara sighed and dropped her head, finding the proposal a little overwhelming.

"Come on, think of it as a work perk or something. It's for everyone. Plus, it doesn't have to be permanent. You can leave anytime you want."

Once again, everything was screaming for her to say no. It was too dangerous. She barely knew anyone. She didn't even know if she wanted to stay an Avenger. She didn't know if she could cope with more fighting. She wanted to say no. She had to say no, and yet, she still found herself saying the opposite.

"Fine." He beamed brightly making her laugh, just a little bit. "Thank you."

 **A/N: And there we go! Chapter 12! I know its not perfect, but its just a little filler to get me back into it. It's been so long since I updated, but I'm excited to get back to it as I've missed it. I have so much planned for you guys and I can't wait for you to see it and I hope to God you like it! So, please leave me reviews, let me know what you think, and I will see you soon with Chapter 13!**


	15. Chapter 13 - Elena

The complex was irritatingly loud as Kiara slipped back through the window of the apartment. She could hear the screaming match happening a few doors down, there was a screeching baby somewhere, and too many apartments were blasting with music. It wouldn't have been too bad for any normal person, but Kiara's heightened hearing meant she heard every little thing as though it was happening right next to her.

It was for that reason, amongst others, that she found herself a little excited to be heading to the Tower. It would be nice to have some peace and quiet in a little room, which she couldn't help but hope would be a little more comfortable than the hard floor she'd grown accustomed to. She was also dying for a decent shower. Really, it would just be nice to have a place to stay, and maybe it could turn into a home, depending how things went. She wasn't sure what would happen if you had a bunch of enhanced persons living under one roof. Truly, it sounded like the beginning of a bad joke, but she'd have to see.

Kiara wandered around the bare apartment, picking up whatever was hers and shoved it into the small bag which she'd acquired. She didn't have much, so it wasn't a great task, and before long, she was headed downstairs to meet Tony as he'd insisted on driving her back to the Tower himself.

She leaned against the wall, her bag hanging off her shoulder as she awaited his arrival. It was a warm night, and the sun hadn't fully gone in just yet, but she could hear the hustle and bustle of the city, the nightlife coming alive, and she saw most of it pass her by. It was barely 7 and yet, groups of friends were already staggering past, laughing loudly over slurred words. Sketchy characters slinked down back streets, and there was more than just her stood on the street corner.

She sighed deeply and rested her head back against the cool brick before she spotted two men approaching. She could smell the foul alcohol even from the short distance between them, the both of them barely able to walk properly. The larger of the two stopped in front of her, his hand coming to rest beside her head, attempting to trap her in as he gave her his best attempt at a charming smile.

"Hey Baby... You-you looking for some fun?" he hiccuped as his friend rested on her other side, both of them clearly missing the sneer of disgust that had made its way onto her face.

She clenched her fists, her lip curling to reveal her sharp canines as her eyes burned red. "Do I look like I want some fun?"

The man in front of her stumbled back in fright while his friend, unable to see her face, gripped her chest and chuckled. "Hm, you definitely do, Sugar."

With a snarl, Kiara stomped on his foot before throwing her head back into his nose. He yelled out in pain before she turned quickly, ripping his hand from her chest and bending it back behind him. "Do you want me to break your arm?" The man merely whimpered, shaking his head quickly. She forced him onto his knees, twisting his arm even more as her eyes flared. "Do you want me to break your arm, Punk?" she snarled louder.

"NO! God, please!" he cried, still furiously shaking his head.

"Then keep your hands to yourself, Prick! Do you understand me?"

"Yes!"

With another sneer, she kicked him away from her. "Then move along before I use your balls as a bouncy castle."

He scrambled up and sprinted away with his friend in tow before she heard a slow clap and booming laughter. She looked up and saw Tony sat in his car, chortling at what he'd just witnessed. "Excuse me, Miss! How much for that last treatment?" He cackled while she rolled her eyes at his teasing.

She picked up her bag and headed over to the car, slipping into the passengers seat before several ladies of the night hounded the car. "Hey there, Handsome." One of them purred. Kiara let out a short laugh from beside him.

Tony raised his hand and looked at them over his sunglasses. "Sorry, Honey. I'm a one-woman kinda guy, I'm afraid." He gave them a bright smile before revving his engine, driving them away. "Like I said, the place is a dump."

Kiara glanced over at him, her expression unimpressed. "Well the Ritz didn't have any rooms available." she drawled as he snorted.

"So your next choice was the 'Hotel A La Shithole'? Understandable. I can see you chose it for the people."

"You're funny." Kiara pursed her lips, trying her best to hide her smile.

"I know." He smirked over at her as they waited in traffic before he passed her an Aluminium card. "I'm still working on the security, so that should get you into the Tower and all the floors whenever you need."

Kiara inspected it, rubbing her thumb over the smooth metal. It was simple, elegant, with nothing but a geometric wolf head engraved into it. "Thanks...Are you trying to make the place Fort Knox or something?" she asked, slipping the card into her pocket.

"Fort Knox will wish they had my security." He grinned proudly as they headed through Midtown, eventually heading towards the huge Tower which came into sight. It was a beacon amongst the other buildings, its neon blue light glowing brightly. "Welcome home."

Kiara quickly glanced over at him but couldn't help but smile with excitement. She'd never really had a home. Not even SHIELD was a home to her, it was more of a prison. But this, this would be separate from SHIELD, it wouldn't be dictated by them. There'd be no Council to answer to, no cages if you did something wrong. Compared to everywhere else, it seemed like a paradise.

Tony stopped in front of it and dropped his sunglasses to look into the camera just above them before the wall swiftly opened with a hiss, revealing the huge garage. Immediately, Kiara's mouth dropped open when she saw it. It was two-storeys and looked like it had come straight out one of the sci-fi movies Clint used to show her.

"Welcome back, Sir." Kiara jumped in surprise as the voice echoed around the room. "And welcome to Avengers Tower, Miss Monroe."

Kiara stepped out the car and looked over at Tony in awe, earning a laugh in return. "T-Thanks?"

"That's JARVIS." A flicker of recognition passed her face as she realised exactly who JARVIS was. "He basically runs the place. Come on, I'll show you around."

Kiara followed Tony across the garage before they stepped into a large, shiny elevator. She glanced at the buttons and couldn't help the laugh of disbelief when she saw the number of floors. "This is insane. You've built all this in a few weeks?"

"Well, some of it is from the old Tower, and most of it isn't even finished yet, but we've managed to move pretty quickly with the rebuild. The composition of the bottom floors is pretty much the same; Garage, meeting rooms, then there's HQ. The rest is for us; Living quarters, rec rooms and such." Tony leant against the wall and smiled over at her. "You still look a little shell-shocked."

"Well it looks like a spaceship." she said bluntly, waving her arms at their surroundings.

"If you think that's something, just wait until you see the rest of it."

The elevator came to a halt before the doors opened, revealing what she instantly knew was the lab. There was the usual clinical smell, and it looked exactly how she'd expect Tony's lab to look. It was covered with floor-to-ceiling glass and had everything a scientist could dream of; Computers, experimental equipment at every corner. It seemed to be at the very top of the tower, the large windows looking out at the whole of New York.

Tony wandered off to check something, leaving her to look around in disbelief before she spotted someone moving around behind one of the computers. She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes before a smile lit up her face. "Bruce?"

He turned when she called his name, and smiled brightly as he headed towards the two. "Kiara? Hey! Tony said you were coming. I'm glad you're here."

"How have you been?"

"Good." he said with a sure nod. He couldn't help the small smile that came to his lips. "I've been good. I've had a lot of time to spend on my work."

Kiara looked over Bruce and felt beyond happy for him. She barely knew him, having only spent a small amount of time together to search for the Tesseract, but she'd read his file, and she'd heard about what had happened in Harlem a few years back. He'd had a rough time, and she knew how difficult it was to live with a demon inside your head. He looked relaxed, clearly enjoying being in his element, and it was nice to see.

"You look happier." she commented, resting her hand against his arm. "It suits you."

Bruce looked down quickly, a blush making its way up his neck before resting his hand atop of hers. "Thank you, Kiara."

"Alright, Toto." called Tony as he approached the two. Kiara rolled her eyes at the nickname while Bruce chuckled. "Ready to carry on with the tour?"

"Sure!" It was great seeing Bruce, but Kiara was intrigued by what the other floors of the Tower held. "See you later?"

"Of course." Bruce nodded and gave them a wave. "Bye!"

The two stepped into the elevator and Tony pressed the button for the next part of the tour. He took her to the several rec rooms which were filled with everything you could ever wish to keep you entertained. Tony had fitted the place out with a home media room, a training room, a gym, a small library. It was utterly outrageous, but she supposed it was necessary. If it was going to be home base, it would have to conform to all of their needs, and from what she'd seen, Tony hadn't left a single stone unturned.

But after exploring dozens of floors, the tour was coming to an end, with only the kitchen and her room left. Kiara had to admit that she was starting to feel the exhaustion; After little sleep and a long day of hard work, she was ready to finally get some rest. She just hoped that a change of scenery and a nicer bed would be enough to settle the nightmares, even if it was just a little bit.

Eventually, they arrived at the kitchen, and the moment the doors opened, a mouthwatering smell hit her in the face. Her eyes snapped open and her stomach rumbled as the delicious aroma had her nearly drooling. Yet again, the kitchen was astounding. It had a table that could fit more people than needed, an island, several appliances which would definitely come in handy, and yet another beautiful view.

Tony beamed as he walked ahead of her, opening his arms wide to whoever was there. "Honey, I'm home!" he called, earning a soft gasp from someone that Kiara couldn't see.

"Is she here?"

Kiara frowned at the new, female voice. But it didn't sound like anyone she knew. And she didn't have any more time to dwell on the matter as someone whizzed past Tony and stood opposite her, a look of utter surprise on her face.

The woman was certainly a sight; She was wearing brightly coloured pyjamas which hung off her petite frame like bags. Her strawberry-blonde hair was tied up messily in a bun atop her head while her face was covered in a white face mask which reminded her of something a robber would wear. Kiara's eyebrow slowly rose as the woman looked at her like she was an angel, her bright eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Er..." Kiara tried to think of something to say, but before anything left her lips, the woman shot forward and wrapped her small arms around Kiara, pulling her into a crushing hug. Kiara immediately went rigid, her eyes wide as she felt utterly lost at what to do. It was an unknown woman, someone whose name she didn't even know yet, but here she was, being crushed by her.

"Oh, I've been so anxious to meet you, and here you are! I'm so, so glad you decided to stay with us. Has Tony showed you around? Do you like the place? It's not totally finished, you can blame him for that. There's been a schedule, but will he stick to it? No!" Kiara stared at the woman in bafflement as she listened to her ramble. "Gosh, I really can't believe I'm finally meeting you. After what you did...I can't say begin to tell you how thankful I am to you. God, look at you! Aren't you just the cutest? Tony! Isn't she just the cutest?"

The woman finally released her, bouncing slightly as she clasped her hands together. Kiara blinked, trying to process everything that had been said to her while the woman kept staring at her in wonderment. Chuckling, Tony placed a gentle kiss to the side of the woman's head, a fond look on his face. "Kiara, this is my better-half, Elena."

Elena.

Kiara laughed to herself as everything finally made sense, more than surprised that she hadn't figured it out sooner. She was Elena Christie. CEO of Christie Enterprises, and Tony Starks' partner. She'd seen her before, her face plastered on most magazines, or on the TV whenever her company made headline news. She just hadn't seen her like this before.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Elena." Kiara said, giving her a brief wave. Elena beamed at her before she gasped in horror.

"Oh, Gosh! You must be exhausted! Tony said you'd been clearing the streets." She quickly turned Tony and ushered him towards the kitchen before she kindly took Kiara's bag. "Anthony, keep an eye on dinner while I show Kiara to her room. Come on, Sweetie, I can't wait for you to see it!"

Tony gave Kiara an apologetic look as she allowed herself to be dragged to the elevator. "I can't wait for you to see it! You're gonna love it! Tony and I worked on the rooms together, its got everything in it. We figured you'd want to be alone time to time, so they're like mini apartments!"

"It sounds perfect, really. I'm just grateful that you're allowing me to stay at all. It's really kind of you." Kiara looked down at Elena who let out a loud laugh, which had her struggling to hide her smile.

"Don't be silly! It's the least we could do. You deserve it. You all do. Tony and I are lucky enough to be able to choose where we live, and we can live comfortably. It's only right that we share it with you. It would've just been an empty Tower, so it'll be nice to be able to fill it with some people who need it."

With a ding, the elevator doors opened to a long, wide hallway. It looked like a hotel corridor, decorated with a shining marble floor and cream walls, bright strip lights illuminating it. From what she could tell, there were three doors, all of them evenly spaced. "Okay, here we are. You're the first door. You're sharing a floor with Thor and Captain Rogers, is that okay?"

Kiara followed behind Elena and spotted the emblem of Steve's iconic shield on his door, while hers held the same geometric wolf head that was on her card. "Of course! It's no problem."

"Perfect! You can use your card to get in for the time being. Once we've sorted the security, it'll just open for you." Elena stepped away and gestured for her to open the door. Kiara took the card from her pocket and as she stepped towards the door to find the slot, a sudden click came from inside. Frowning, Kiara opened her door and blinked as all the lights suddenly turned on, revealing the room she would be staying in for the foreseeable future, and she was floored.

Huge wasn't even an appropriate way to describe it. It was ginormous, and she couldn't even see the rest of it. A short, bright corridor led to a large living room which was kitted out with everything she could need. A huge TV, a couch which was far too large for just her, a shining coffee-table, and floor-to-ceiling windows which looked out onto the city.

"Do you like it?" wondered Elena as she stepped inside, smiling as she looked around the room. "The kitchen is just off to your right, and then back there is your bedroom, a bathroom, and a spare room. Again, it's not totally finished for you, but we'll get it fixed soon enough. Everything is fully functional though. Unfortunately, there's no food in your fridge yet, but if you just let me and Tony know, we'll get you whatever you want. We figured a weekly shopping list would probably be the best way to go about it, and-"

"Elena...This is too much." Kiara said suddenly, shock still written across her face. "It's beautiful, really, and I love it. But I can't ask you to give me this. I don't deserve this."

Elena stared back at her before smiling softly as she approached the younger girl, placing a gentle hand to her shoulder. "Kiara, this is your home now. You aren't forcing us into anything, and we wouldn't do it if we didn't want to. Everyones room is the same. This is the team's HQ now, and we wanted it to be top of the range. I wanted it to be perfect for you."

Kiara still looked uncertain. It wasn't that she was ungrateful. She was beyond thankful for what they were offering, but the place was fit for royalty. It didn't even look like she was worthy enough to step foot inside it. She'd expected a small, one person apartment, not a mansion. "But why?"

"Because you _deserve_ it. All of you deserve it. What you did cannot be repaid. In my opinion, this isn't even enough. But it's better than being in some random apartment without a bed. It's better than uncertainty. And I just want to give you all somewhere you can call home. Somewhere you can relax and feel comfortable. Because without you, I wouldn't have a home anymore."

Kiara frowned in confusion and Elena looked thoughtful for a moment before she spoke once more. "My home is Tony, he has been for years now. And if you hadn't done what you did, I don't know whether I'd have him anymore...I was watching when he was flying that missile towards the wormhole. I was speaking to him too, and all I could think about was that it would be the last time I ever saw him, or heard his voice. God, I was so scared. I was so, so scared. But then you came out of nowhere and you took it from him. You risked your life for him, and I have never been more grateful to anyone in my life."

Elena's sadness seemed to melt away into a genuine smile as took Kiara's hand in hers and gave her a sincere look, which was definitely hard to take seriously with her white mask on. "I know we don't even know each other, and I know I probably sound like a crazy woman to you, but I want to make sure you're okay. I want to make sure that all of you are okay. And the closest I can do is have you all here in rooms which you deserve."

Kiara felt a tug of gratitude in her heart. This was a woman whom she'd known for not even half an hour, and she was kinder than most people she knew. She knew nothing about her, yet it seemed like she wanted to hand every single one of them the world on a platter. For a moment, she'd wondered if any of it was fake, whether she was going to manipulate her or harm her, but she couldn't sense a shred of cruelty in the woman. She just seemed like a ball of kindness, and it was odd. But Kiara couldn't help but feel touched by her words, and by her sincerity.

"I...I-You're too kind, Elena. Thank you."

Kiara smiled and Elena clapped her hands with joy as she handed her bag back to her. "You are more than welcome, Sweetie! Now go and settle in. Have a shower, do whatever you'd like to get yourself comfortable. I'll have Tony bring you some food and then you can get some rest. Tomorrow we'll go and stock up for your apartment. And get you some more clothes, because that is not enough."

She turned her nose up at the tiny bag, and Kiara opened her mouth to argue, but swiftly stopped when she realised there probably wouldn't be any point. She was a lovely woman, who seemed gentle and kind, but she had no doubt that she would get what she wanted, no matter what it was.

"That sounds nice. Thank you again."

"Rest up! And I'll see you tomorrow." Elena gave her cheek a quick kiss before she rushed out, the door giving a click as it closed behind her.

Once Elena was gone, Kiara turned to look at the room and she couldn't help the laugh of excitement bubble from her lips. She covered her mouth, as her lips pulled into a wide smile before she rushed around the apartment, exploring every room, unable to stop the gasps of disbelief that left her as she saw everything she'd been blessed with. It truly was luxurious, in the most excessive ways, but she would happily and graciously accept it.

Sighing, Kiara flopped down on the bed, the softest and most comfortable one she'd ever laid on, and smiled as she took everything in. That morning, she'd woken up upset, in pain, and irritated, and now, she was in a place where she could really relax without interruption. She couldn't hear a single thing. There was nothing. Not a scream, not a shout, not even a note of music. All was silent, and it was peaceful. She turned her head towards the windows and admired the bright, beautiful lights which were now her view, and allowed herself to cry.

Not of sadness, not of frustration, but of relief. It was a brand new start, somewhere she could feel safe, and human. She would have food, and real shelter, and comfort. She would have people around her that clearly cared, and it was more than she could ever ask for.

She had finally found a home.

 **A/N: Hello, hello, hello! I hope you are all well, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The whole story will be slow burn as I want to really solidify Kiara's relationships with other characters, and I want to give you all plenty of content which I hope you'll like. One thing I am curious about, and I wanted to know your opinion on was whether or not you like how graphic it can get sometimes? I'd like to know your opinion on it, as it will change how I write future chapters as there is a few months between now and the point of Iron Man 3 which I want to fill with a storyline. So, let me know how you feel about the nitty-gritty aspects of the story, and what you thought about the chapter! Also, my Harry Potter story is finally up if you want to give it a read!**

 **Much love,**

 **G.C.Z**


	16. Chapter 14 - Sleepless In Manhattan

**Siberia, 1962**

 _A sickening crack echoed through the room as Kiara let out a loud scream, horror etched onto her face as she watched one of the guards punish her Brother for her own defiance._

 _His head hung weakly, the blood from his split skin beginning to stain his shirt. He was so still that had she not heard the thumping of his heart, she might've thought him dead. Shifting stiffly, he let out a low, shaky breath, doing his very best to keep his composure. To not show weakness. That's what he'd tried to teach her during the many hours they were locked up in their cells._

 _"Don't let them see that it hurts," he'd say. "don't show them any weakness. They'll eventually get bored."_

 _She'd never managed to heed his advice, finding the pain too much to cope with. She would often refuse their demands, and put up a fight against their control, but she could never save face. Jax was the best at that. Even better than Ash. They could beat him and torture him within an inch of his life and he'd remain as passive as ever. He'd remain as strong as ever._

 _But she just couldn't._

 _"Look at him." Valcov took her face in his vice-like grip and forced her to watch as the guard readied Jax for yet another beating. "If you don't do as I say, I will make sure that Viktor beats him until he breaks. I'll make sure that you watch. And when he's done, I'll have him break you too."_

 _Kiara stared up at him, tears pooling in her eyes as she trembled with terror, shaking her head viciously to try and escape Valcov's grasp, but he just gripped her tighter, his nails digging into the scarred skin of her face. "Will you do as I say, Little Wolf? Or will I have to beat you into submission?"_

 _He stared down at her, his eyes dark with warning, a clear threat of what was to happen should she refuse him, but as she looked to her Brother, she found him smiling weakly, just managing to shoot a wink at her. "It's alright, Kiwi. Remember what I told you about him?" His weak smile grew into a grin as his dark eyes twinkled with mischief before they snapped to Valcov, the mischief morphing into rage. "This punk just hurts us because everyone knows he's a failure. That's why you hurt kids, right? 'Cause no one thinks you're good enough?"_

 _"Stop." she pleaded, whimpering quietly as she watched Valcov drop his hand from her face, his full attention now on her older Brother. Jax seemed to have recovered from his last beating as he sat straight in his chair, his demeanour cocky as he eyed Valcov with distaste. "What? Have I struck a nerve? It's not exactly a lie, even Vik here knows yo-"_

 _Before Jax could finish his insult, Valcov's fist came down hard on his cheek, whipping his head to the side, his purpling cheek deepening in colour. Kiara gaped, her tears spilling freely despite the chuckle that left Jax. He rolled his head, looking back up at the furious man who once again hit him._

 _Again and again and again. With every smack and crack, Kiara screamed out for her Brother, begging Valcov to stop hurting him, begging Jax to stop with his taunting. But neither did. Jax continued with his insults, and Valcov continued to hit him until his hand could take no more._

 _"Tell Sokolov to ready the chairs. We have a limited window on D.C. I'll deal with them later." Viktor gave Valcov a short nod before the both of them left the room, sparing neither one of them a glance._

 _Once the door slammed shut, Kiara's eyes fell onto her Brother, and her stomach turned as she saw the mess they'd made of him; Thankfully, he was beginning to heal, but most of his face was still a bloodied mess. His dark skin was barely recognisable due to the dark bruises, and deep cuts which left his clothes stained red. Much of his face was swollen, but he acted as though nothing was wrong. He acted as though he felt no pain, but she knew he did, she could feel it. But despite it all, he still smiled._

 _"Why?" she whispered, her voice shaky. "Why did you push him so far?"_

 _"He was going to hurt you." he replied simply, as though the answer was so obvious. However, as he spoke, he couldn't hide the hiss that left his lips as his cheekbone snapped back together. "I had to keep his attention somehow._

 _"They could've killed you! They could take you away!"_

 _Jax chuckled and shook his head as though she'd said the silliest thing he'd ever heard. She just stared back at him, her eyebrows knitted together with frustration and worry. She didn't know what Valcov would do. He'd never been so angry with any of them, and he'd never left in defeat. She dreaded what he'd do in retaliation. She dreaded the pain that would befall them all._

 _"Nothing on this Earth could take me away from you." Jax sounded so sure of himself, but both of them knew they didn't have the strength to stand against Valcov. He just had to utter a few words and they were his to command. They could fight and resist all they wanted, but he'd tampered too much, and he had a tight reign on all of them. If he wanted them separated, he could do it. If he wanted them dead, he could do it. Whatever he wanted from them, he could have it._

 _"Hey!" Jax called to her and she looked up at him, unable to hide the frightened tears that streamed down her cheeks. She was so, so terrified. "Nothing could take me away from you, Kiwi. Not truly. I'll always be with you, I promise. I'll always be with you."_

* * *

 **One-Two.**

 **One-Two-Three.**

 **One-Two.**

 **One-Two-Three-Four.**

Kiara snarled, repeating her punches over and over. That's what she needed most at the moment; Routine. With the chaos that had managed to suddenly worm its way into her life, she needed some form of normality. Something to keep her grounded.

In the week since she'd moved into the tower, it had been a nice change, but abnormal to say the least. Tony and Elena were incredibly kind to her, making sure she wanted for nothing, and provided her with everything she needed in her apartment, even if she hadn't asked for it. She had fresh meals everyday, freedom to explore the whole tower, the option to leave whenever she wished, and she had her own space. It had become something of a haven, but it was such a strange feeling. She had never been treated so kindly, never been given such freedom without potential consequence.

Between her new home, and her new position as an Avenger, it seemed that the only consistent thing in her life was her nightmares. It turned out that despite being finally safe, nothing could stop the scenes which haunted her every time she closed her eyes.

She would find herself laying awake for hours on end, staring up at the coffered ceiling, afraid to sleep, afraid to dream. But she knew better than to try and survive on no sleep, so she suffered a couple of hours here and there, and without fail, she would wake in a cold sweat, the cruel hiss of Valcov echoing in her ears. It was slowly driving her mad, but it was familiar. It was routine.

Recently, it seemed as though her mind was hell-bent on reminding her of every painful memory she'd ever experienced. They taunted her with her family, and the missions, and the damn cage. For years, she'd managed to quell the memories enough to function, to live with some sort of normalcy, but they never truly went away.

She would often see her Brothers, Jax and Ash, in the corner of her eye, or Valcov in the shadows, but she knew they were never actually there. Now, she struggled to tell the difference between what was real, and what wasn't. For brief moments she would find herself back in Siberia, a familiar burn in her veins, or she'd look out the window and see the destruction of the city and wonder what carnage she'd brought.

However, when she found herself losing touch, she'd found solace in the training room. True to his word, Tony ensured that everything was provided for any type of workout, thus producing a gym-buff's dreamworld. But she only really needed the punching bags. They were solid enough to leave a dull ache in her fists from the constant pummelling she subjected it to.

For the hours she'd been awake, she'd laid into the bag, hissing as her mind relayed everything she'd been forced to see. She punched harder, revelling in the splits in her skin, and the cracks of her bones. All she could see was Jax's bruised and swollen face, a lazy grin pulling at his busted lips, mischief twinkling in his dark eyes.

 _'I'll always be with you, I promise.'_

Kiara raised her fist, ready to land another hit, but she faltered, and dropped her sweaty forehead against the cool leather. Her breath came out short and shaky, her aching fists clenching as Jax's laughter echoed in her mind. Her eyebrows knitted together as saw Jax in her mind, her heart clenching painfully. She desperately wanted to reach out and hug him, to hold him tight once more, to refuse to let him go for fear of being separated once more. It had been over a decade since she'd lost him and Ash. Since they'd torn out the final piece of her heart.

It was fitting that it was her most frequent nightmare.

 _'I'll always be with you.'_

Tears pricked at her eyes as she stared at the red leather before she let out a snarl and connected her flaming fist with the bag, sending it hurtling across the room, the fire beginning to envelop the entire bag.

"Shit!" Kiara rushed over, her eyes widening with panic as she blasted the flames with water until they finally died out. Mentally kicking herself, Kiara looked at the wreck she'd created and cursed. The fire had utterly destroyed the bag, leaving it a burnt mess, and she'd managed to cover the floor in a puddle of water during her attempt to put it out. "You're a real mess, Monroe."

Sighing, Kiara sat herself down, slumping against the wall with defeat. She glanced over at the puddle of water and dipped her fingers into it, watching as the water slowly sunk back into her skin until the floor was completely dry. She glanced at the burnt bag before hanging her head, attempting to ground herself back to reality.

She massaged her bleeding knuckles, frowning as the ache began to fade as the bones snapped back into place, the skin gradually fusing back together until it was impossible to tell that she'd harmed herself at all. It was one of her handiest abilities, she couldn't deny that, but for once, she wanted to feel something other than the pain in her heart. She needed to feel anything else, and physical pain seemed to be the one thing that could almost distract her from everything else, until she healed.

Kiara rubbed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh before she heard the crackle of the intercom making her glance up as Tony's voice suddenly filled the room. "Good morning, Fido." She once again dropped her head, knowing he'd probably seen everything that had happened. "Mind coming up to the workshop?"

She inwardly winced but gave the camera a short nod as she pushed herself up, making her way to her inevitable scolding. It was unavoidable, even if he hadn't seen it himself. He'd find out eventually, and she wasn't going to lie to him. It was almost laughable; She'd already damaged his property and she'd only been there for 7 days.

The ride up to the workshop seemed to go on forever before the familiar ding sounded as the elevator doors opened to his workshop. She'd only ever seen the room during his tour on her first night, but somehow, in the span of a week, he'd managed to cover most of the floor in discarded metal and random tools. She frowned a little seeing several frames of metal bodies littered around the room, looking like the beginning of some horrific halloween animatronics. And in the center of the mayhem was Tony, awkwardly hunched over his desk as he worked on something under the light.

Kiara's dread peaked the moment she saw him as she awaited his shouts. She fidgeted awkwardly, her eyes fixed on his tense back, not daring to look anywhere else. Within seconds, the silence between them became deafening and it only made her panic more, her mind racing through every possible outcome. Would he just want her to pay him back? She didn't know where she'd find the money, but she'd find it somehow. Would he ban her from the training room? Would he kick her out? He'd spent a lot of money building everything, and she'd nearly destroyed part of it through her carelessness. She couldn't blame him if he did.

As if sensing her distress, Tony finally spun around on his stool, an amused smirk playing at his lips as he gestured to his surroundings. "Welcome to my sanctuary." Kiara just sucked in a shaky breath. "JARVIS told me you were awake and I saw you were in the training room- You owe me a new punching bag, by the way."

"I'm so sorry, Tony. I just...lost control."

To her surprise, Tony barely acknowledged it, waving off her apology as he rested back in his chair and levelled her with a look of curiosity. "So, it's barely four in the morning...Any reason why you're awake?"

Kiara blinked, more than a little confused by the turn of events. She'd expected to be faced with a furious Tony Stark, and a lecture about the money she'd cost him. What she didn't expect, however, was him as calm as ever, looking at her as though he'd caught her with her hand in the cookie jar. In some ways, she may have been more comfortable with the former, as she knew where she stood. Right now, she didn't have a clue what was going on in his head.

"Earth to Monroe!"

Kiara frowned even more when he waved his hand, chuckling to himself. "You're really not mad?"

"About what?"

The two stared at each other for a moment, Kiara looking utterly baffled while Tony raised his eyebrows with curiosity. "The punching bag...That I set on fire?"

"Why would I be mad? It's just cheap leather and sand." He just shrugged in response while Kiara let out a laugh of disbelief.

Had she been at SHIELD, the Council probably would've had her locked up by now, with a collar around her neck and an eager visit from Rumlow. At every turn, Tony and Elena were proving that they weren't SHIELD, and she was beginning to think that it was probably time for her to stop thinking of them as such. Everyday she was waiting for them to prove that her cautiousness was justified, that she was right to wait for the cracks to appear. If anything, a burnt punching bag should've been enough to make them flip out, but there was nothing.

Perhaps it was time for her to stop looking for something wrong, especially where Tony and Elena were concerned. They'd given her no reason for her to doubt their intentions, but they'd done everything to earn her gratitude and trust. Kindness was a difficult concept for her to grasp, but if she really wanted a fresh start, with a new home, a new position, and new company, she would _have_ to try.

"So, are you going to tell my why you're awake?"

Tony's voice knocked her out of her musings and she was suddenly flooded with a reminder of the very reason she was awake. Smiling bitterly, Kiara shifted her gaze to the window which had a perfect view of Manhattan. Probably the best in the whole Tower. It was early morning, and the twinkling lights which the city was known for still shone brightly from the hundreds of buildings.

"I'm in the city that never sleeps," she started, her voice void of amusement despite the smile on her face. "As it turns out, neither do I."

Kiara refused to look back at him then, almost ashamed by her own misery. It wasn't unnatural for nightmares to occur, plenty of people had them, but it had always felt like a weakness to her. She'd been having them for as long as she could remember, never really having a break from constant trauma that would create them. Clint had always tried to get her to talk about it, convinced that if she told the whole story, it would help in some way, but she'd always refused. It was a heavy burden for her to carry herself, but it would be even heavier for someone else, that she was sure of.

Glancing out of the window, Kiara couldn't help but be reminded of a thought that often came to her in Sao Paulo. When sat atop her home in the favelas, she would look out over the whole city, full of people leading different lives, under different circumstances with different backgrounds. In reality, she and her problems were just a small spec in the grand scheme of things, and even when it felt as though she would be consumed by her pain, the world still spun on regardless. It was easy to bury unsolvable problems, and even easier to make them seem inconsequential when she put it into perspective.

"Here." Tony nudged her arm before handing her a steaming cup of black coffee, a gesture she was extremely grateful for. She breathed in the rich aroma as Tony settled beside her and watched the world go by. "That day did something to all of us. I think it messed everyone up in one way or another. It changed everything we thought we knew, and now we're just expected to go on as if it never happened. The streets will be cleared, the buildings rebuilt, and soon enough, something else will dominate the news. But for the likes of us, we can never forget. It's impossible to forget it."

Kiara glanced his way, but found him transfixed on the view, as though he wasn't speaking to her at all. "All I've been able to think about since that day is what I could do to stop it from happening again. We gave it everything we had and it almost wasn't enough, and I don't think we can take that chance again."

"And have you thought of something?" she wondered. Tony looked back at her and smiled.

"I have. And maybe you could help me."

With that, he wandered over to his desk and cleared off most of the clutter on it as he rolled out several sheets. She came up behind him and peeked over his shoulder, finding the sheets covered in dozens of sketches of metal suits, similar to his own, but not entirely. They were whole bodies, not built to for someone to pilot themselves, the skeletons were exactly like the unfinished frames scattered around.

As Kiara picked up one of the sheets and inspected his idea, he began to explain, "What if the next time aliens come knocking, there's an immediate defence? Before they can even get close to civilians, they'll be met by a whole army. The whole thing will be controlled by JARVIS, so no one will have to pilot the suits themselves."

Kiara nodded along with every word he said, her eyes scanning over the rough plans for just a few of the suits. If it worked, it would mean the Avengers could focus on the issues on Earth rather than any extraterrestrial attacks. If it worked, it could prevent New York from happening ever again.

"You want to create a whole iron legion." she whispered, picturing the might of a whole army of metal soldiers. "Do you think you'll be able to do it? That guy tried it a few years ago, and it didn't exactly go his way..."

Tony rolled his eyes at the mention of Justin Hammer. "Yeah, but he was an idiot. It'll be a piece of cake to build them. Though, it will take time, especially with the amount I want."

"And how many are you wanting?" she wondered, placing the sheet back with the others.

"At least a two-hundred." said Tony. Kiara's eyebrows shot up. "At every station."

Kiara gave him a strange look, baffled by his comment, until realisation hit her. "You want them posted all over the world."

"Exactly. No matter where the threat hits, there'll be a station ready to meet them."

A smile broke out on Kiara's face, already loving the prospect. She glanced back at the plans and read over all the messy notes dotted around the sketches. Humming, she tapped her finger to the repulsors. "You could reinforce the repulsors with tantalum and hafnium carbides to withstand more heat. That way the blasts will cause more damage."

Tony stared at her in surprise, looking as though she'd grown a second head before he immediately grabbed his pencil and began jotting down her idea. "That's good, that's good." he muttered before he pushed his chair towards her. "What else you got?"

And so it began.

For hours they stayed in his workshop, bouncing ideas back and forth about the suits. They debated their components, their size, what they would be able to do, everything they could think of. What had started with just a few sheets of potential suits, became a hundred of different ones. Half of their ideas were near enough impossible, but Tony was convinced he would be able to find a way to make it work.

In some ways, it was like releasing a mad scientist into a lab, allowing them to create whatever strange concoctions they wished. The two of them debated lasers, enhanced speed and strength, and even space flight. They went to the extremes of what they could do, and Kiara was loving every second of it. Tony was surprised by her amount of knowledge on mechanics, but it was familiar territory for her; At SHIELD, she'd been able to tinker with jets and cars, eventually being able to take the whole thing apart and put it back again. It was one of few things that she enjoyed and it helped considerably in keeping the monster in her head at bay. She wasn't an expert, far from it, but she knew enough to at least keep up with Tony's genius.

As morning bled into afternoon, Kiara looked up from her work for the first time since they'd started and snorted as she saw that the time was nearing 4 O'Clock. They'd become so invested in their planning that they'd become completely oblivious to anything outside of their bubble. They hadn't stopped for food, or to check what was happening in the real world. They were utterly immersed in their project, thinking of nothing but their next steps.

Kiara loved it, and all was quiet in her mind.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Helloooo, dear readers! Its been a while, and I'm so sorry for that. Writers block has been killer for this chapter, probably because its not that important, but it was necessary to build a bit of backstory to later chapters. So, I am very sorry to keep you waiting, for a chapter that isnt too amazing, I admit. But the fun is coming soon. However, on a side note, there are a few things that I want to inform you about but I didn't want to dedicate a whole chapter to, so buckle in!**

 **First things first, my Harry Potter story is on hold for the foreseeable future. I haven't given up on it, but I want to focus on this story, it is my pride and joy and I want to give my all to it without pulling myself in too many different directions. So, there's no point looking for that. Sorry for any disappointment and/or confusion.**

 **Second, the final plan for this story is nearly done and we're knocking on 50-60 chapters for this first part. The whole story surrounding Kiara will only be published in this book, but there will be breaks in-between parts for me to write for my other OC's.**

 **Speaking of, I have decided that the next book will be my Loki story, which will be based before and during the events of the first Thor movie. Then it will be back to Kiara. I'm trying to keep it in chronological order, so that when my other OC's are introduced in this story, hopefully you won't be confused as to who they are.**

 **Also, I have watched Captain Marvel in my absence and I cannot WAIT to add her in, but obviously it won't be for a while. Apologies. But with Endgame on the horizon, my creative juices are flowing and I'm ready to get back into this story full throttle. I wont promise you when the next chapters are going to come out, as I don't want to disappoint you, but I will be working hard to get them to you when I can.**

 **Finally, I want to thank every single one of you so, so much! I cannot express how much every one of you mean to me. You spur me on to write more and do my best to bring you great content. I absolutely love hearing from you. You are all absolute gems and I wish you all the happiness in the world!**

 **So, with that essay, I hope you all have a wonderful week! I hope you enjoyed this filler of a chapter and haven't given up on me just yet! As always, drop me a review!**

 **Love, love, love you all!**

 **G.C.Z.**


	17. Chapter 15 - Stability

"Are you sure about this?"

Tony's eyebrows knitted together with worry as he glanced at Kiara over the top of his computer screen. She was sat rather unceremoniously in her chair, spinning herself around every now and again, looking less than perturbed about what they were about to do.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "It'll be a piece of cake."

"I mean, it's not...I'm about to shoot over one thousand Kelvin right at you." He crossed his arms over his chest and levelled her with a hard look. He'd been trying to talk her out of it all week, not entirely comfortable with her being the guinea pig for the experiment, but she wouldn't budge.

"Tony, I can set myself on fire. One hundred Kelvin-"

"One thousand."

"-One thousand Kelvin isn't going to do much damage."

Kiara waved him off as she stood from her chair and slipped closer to him, her palms resting on the desk as she eyed the computer, barely understanding the mass of words and numbers that filled the screen. She just assumed that everything was fine as Tony didn't seem bothered about anything but her being the target for his new Unibeam. She wasn't too sure why, as it would be fairly simple; All she had to do was put up a shield and make sure that the beam stayed on target. There would be no threat to her wellbeing in any way, but it seemed that Tony worried regardless.

"It'll be fine." Kiara bumped her shoulder with his, a teasing glint in her eye. "I've survived way worse."

Tony blinked, not a glimmer of amusement flashing across his expression. "Was that supposed to make me feel better about it? Because it didn't."

Once again, his words did nothing to sway her decision, as she was already wandering over to the other side of the room. "C'mon, we've got some serious scientific breakthroughs to make!"

Tony stared at her once more before he yielded with a sigh. He called for JARVIS to prepare the repulsor beam while Kiara waved her hand, bringing down a shimmering blue film which covered everything but the repulsor and herself. Tony eyed it curiously, carefully reaching out to touch it. He wasn't sure what he'd expected when he touched it, perhaps something softer, more relative to the bubble-like appearance it had. However, the blue covering was completely solid and seemingly immovable, even when he pushed hard against it.

"Do you feel better about it now?" Kiara called over, snapping him out of his trance.

He rolled his eyes in reply before checking the levels and found them holding steady. "Alright...We'll start it at ten percent." He straightened up and glanced in Kiara's direction. "Are you ready?"

"Absolutely." A small smirk reached her lips as she raised her hand, wiggling her fingers at him in anticipation.

"JARVIS," he called, "Fire it up!"

The moment the words left his lips, Tony watched as the repulsor started with a whir, the rig shifted and straightened up until it pointed straight at Kiara. She focused on the white, pulsing light in the center before a single, glowing beam shot towards her and connected with her hand, immediately igniting her skin. She stood firm against the push of the beam, her eyes beginning to burn with the same flame that engulfed her hand as the power began to climb. Tony shouted out to her as the power increased, noticing how she was beginning to strain against it. Nevertheless, she managed to hold it as she began to move, testing the accuracy of the shot. To her amazement, the beam followed her every move. Regardless of how fast, or in which direction she moved, it would follow her.

"It works!" Kiara called excitedly. Tony chuckled and nodded to her, giving her a quick thumbs up. Without thinking it through, Kiara gave him one too, dropping her guard for a split second, which was enough for the beam to overpower her and hit her full force, hurtling her across the room and slamming her straight into the wall.

Groaning, she landed hard into a crumpled heap, her clothes and skin burnt and smoking. "MOTHER-!" she hissed, feeling the pain spread throughout her body. She gritted her teeth as she felt her bones snap back into place, a slight amount of relief coming with the repairs.

"Kid!" Tony immediately shut off the repulsor as he rushed over, a look of horror and panic on his face as he watched her flop onto her back, her dark skin bloody and charred underneath her destroyed shirt. He kneeled before her, worried and unsure of how to help her. "Oh God..."

"I'm okay!" She lifted her healing arm and gave him a weak wave. She cracked one eye open and spotted Dum-E wheeling over. The robot cocked its head and seemed to peer at her curiously before spraying her with foam. Sighing, Kiara waited until he would done before she sat up and patted his wheel. "Thanks. You're a little late to the party, Pal, but thanks."

After wiping most of the foam off her face, Kiara peeked over at Tony and wasn't surprised in the slightest by the look of disapproval she was met with. "I told you." he said simply, holding his hand out to help her up. She dropped her head, nodding in agreement before taking his hand and standing with a wince. "Are you okay?"

Kiara glanced up at him and smiled timidly but before she could reply, she was interrupted by the opening of the door and a shout of surprise. "What the hell?"

The two Avengers looked over at the doorway and found James Rhodes stood there, shocked at the sight he was met with. He trailed his eyes over the destruction, then over a beaming Tony, and then over Kiara, who looked like she'd been attacked then dropped in whipped cream. The two of them merely smiled back at him while he cocked an eyebrow, awaiting any sort of explanation.

"Rhodey! I didn't know you were coming!" Tony kept a gentle hold on Kiara as he led her closer to Rhodey who eyed her cautiously. "Fido, this is Rhodey. Rhodey, this is Fido.

Kiara rolled her eyes at Tony's teasing before she held out her hand to Rhodey. "Most people just call me Kiara. Nice to meet you."

"The wolf, right?" Rhodey queried, reaching out to shake her hand.

"That's me." She nodded politely and clasped her hands together, causing a clump of foam to fall off her shoulder and slop down onto the floor. The three of them glanced down and Kiara pursed her lips, realising the extent of the mess Dum-E had made of her. "I'll, er, I'll leave you be. I seriously need to shower."

"Are you okay to make it on your own?" Tony asked as she hobbled to the door.

"Oh yeah. Consider it my walk of shame..."

She waved him off once more as she continued out of the room, hissing as her kneecap snapped back into place, leaving a string of curses in her wake as the elevator doors closed around her, taking her down to her apartment.

* * *

Kiara bobbed her head along to the music as she made herself some food. Queen blasted out of the speakers in the living room as she danced around the kitchen, swinging her hips and patting her hands against the counter as she waited for the ding of the microwave.

In the hours since the Unibeam incident, she'd confined herself to her apartment, allowing both her body and her pride to heal. Tony had warned her time and time again about how dangerous it was, but she hadn't listened to him, and she'd paid the price for it. She was lucky to have completely healed in less than thirty minutes, but her dignity was taking a little longer, especially since Tony hadn't hesitated to pay her a visit to check on her, and rub her nose in it a little, a consequence which she humbly accepted.

Still, she remained in her apartment, taking the rest of the day to wind down, which, for the most part, had involved her blasting her music or watching whatever movies Tony had suggested. But after six hours of doing nothing, she'd decided to at least make herself some food to function like a regular human being.

With the ding of the microwave, Kiara grabbed her pizza and bounced into the living room, singing loudly along with the music before she switched it off and flopped down onto the couch. She took a bite out of a slice and went to play the rest of her movie when a sudden ringing pierced her ears.

She shot up with a wince before glaring down at the phone Tony had given her, some high-tech, transparent thing that she'd misplaced more than once. It vibrated on the armrest and blasted some shrill tone as an unknown number flashed across the clear screen until she answered it with a sigh.

"Hello?"

"Kiara?" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise as she immediately knew who it was. Steve Rogers' polite voice being one she wouldn't forget in a hurry. "Is that you?"

"It's nice to hear from you, Rogers." she said, a smile in her voice.

Steve let out a sigh of relief before chuckling down the phone. "I wasn't sure you'd answer...Natasha gave me your number, I hope that's alright?"

"Well, I haven't hung up yet," she joked. "Though, I'm quite surprised you know how to use a phone."

"You're funny." he drawled as she snickered. "So, Fury told me you moved in with Stark."

"Yeah," she admitted, settling herself back against the couch. "Well, into the Tower. He's quite persuasive ."

"Do you like it there?"

"It's...kinda perfect, actually." She let her eyes drift over the apartment that she had utterly fallen in love with. She'd been there for just over a month, and she'd settled better than she thought she would, finding solace and comfort in the space she'd been given. She still thought it was far too extravagant for her, but she'd learnt very quickly that it was best to just stay silent about it, as neither Tony nor Elena knew the meaning of simple and modest. "They really went all out. We've all got our own apartments, all fully furnished. You're just across the hall from me, actually."

"It's not too excessive, is it?"

Kiara smirked to herself, trying and failing to hide her laugh. "They spared no expense, I assure you."

"Ah, God." he grumbled.

"You learn to get over it." she chuckled, "But what about you? How's DC treating you? Last time we saw each other you were heading off to clean up the world." Steve didn't reply, only letting out a deep sigh, which told her enough about how it was going. "That bad, huh?"

"No. No, it's not that it's bad."

"Yes it is."

"It's not!" he protested with a laugh. "It's just...different to what I'm used to. It's difficult to settle."

Kiara hummed in understanding; SHIELD and all of its workings and dealings weren't exactly something you just got used to. She could turn a blind eye, but she'd doubted that Steve could. She hadn't spent much time with him, but she knew that SHIELD's way of doing things would ruffle a few of his feathers, and clearly she was right.

"I thought it would just be like before. I thought I could jump back into it and be the same as I was before, but it's just...different." He sounded exasperated and frustrated, and Kiara understood the feeling. Admittedly, their situations were different, and they were two very, very different people, but she'd worked with SHIELD for years and she found it difficult too. She was no Captain America, that was true, and her morals were a lower than she would care to admit, but even she couldn't endure it for long. After all, there was a reason she'd escaped.

"I can assure you, Cap, SHIELD is nothing like what you're used to. It's not as honourable as it seems, I'm sure even Fury would be the first to admit that." she said carefully. "You're gonna see a lot that you won't like, I can promise you that. And I know you've had to adjust a lot already, but you will have to keep doing so if you want to stay at SHIELD."

It was strange to speak to him so frankly. In fact, it was strange that he was speaking to her about it at all; They were barely acquaintances and had butted heads several times in the short time they'd spent together, mostly due to her vicious temper and his nauseating righteousness, but here he was, choosing to speak with her about what was bothering him. It surprised her, like a lot of what was happening lately, but she figured that it should be yet another thing she should embrace, especially if they were going to be the team Phil had wanted them to be.

"And if I don't? I want to help people. It's what I'm good at, but I feel like I'll be doing more harm than good. I don't know...I just- It just doesn't sit well with me. Fury's way of doing things doesn't sit well with me." He went to speak again before pausing and taking a breath. "It's not right."

At his words, Kiara sat up quickly. She agreed, mostly, but it was dangerous territory to speak about it like they were. She doubted Fury would do anything. Despite his faults, she knew he was a good man. It was everyone else she didn't trust. Especially the Council, and they had no love for enhanced persons, no matter how beloved they were. Not even Steve Rogers would be safe from their wrath, and that worried her. "I think this is a conversation best had in person, Steve...You never know who's listening in."

Steve was silent for a moment before he scoffed. "What? You think my phone is bugged?"

"I think everything is." she said seriously. "People are gonna be keeping tabs on you around the clock. For more reasons than one. You gotta be careful."

On the other end of the phone, Steve cursed and damned SHIELD before letting out a long, tired sigh. "Sorry, it's just been quite a day."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, my ego got me blasted into a wall today."

"What?" he snorted. "How?"

Chuckling to herself, Kiara dove into the story, explaining what she and Tony had been working on and how it had led to their mad science experiments which almost always ended with one of them getting hurt. And as she spoke, Steve listened, and he laughed, finding Dum-E's attempt at extinguishing her extremely hilarious. And, eventually, he told her about what he'd been doing since moving to DC. He told her about his new apartment, and the neighbours below who never seemed to turn down their music. He told her about the new things he'd been discovering, and once he made it quite plain that his knowledge of new things was quite limited, Kiara abandoned any chance to return to her movie and bombarded him with everything he needed to catch up on.

She ordered him to write down every TV show, movie and singer she told him to. With a laugh and a "Yes, Ma'am.", he did so. He questioned her every now and then on specific things that had happened, and she was more than happy to provide him with the answers. The two of them talked for hours, long after the sun had set and its rays were replaced with the glittering lights of the city. They talked and they talked, until their yawns interrupted their words, and eventually, Kiara fell silent, her quiet snores being the only thing Steve could hear.

Realising their conversation had come to an end, Steve let out a breathy laugh. "Goodnight, Kiara."

* * *

"So, just chop all of this, and we'll gradually add it in."

Elena glanced over at younger girl and fought a laugh as she saw the look of bafflement on her face. Kiara imagined that she looked exactly how she felt; Completely out of her element. She could take down her enemies with her eyes closed, but ask her to cook and she didn't have a clue where to start. Elena had been trying for weeks to get her into the kitchen, and she had only succeeded due to sheer dumb luck, but it seemed that it would be more hard work than she'd originally envisioned.

"Here, I'll let you chop these while I do everything else." She gestured to the chopping board and gave her a few pointers before leaving her to try as she worked on the rest of the paella. Kiara just blinked down at onion in front of her and debated whether it would be worth just bolting out of the room while Elena had her back turned, but knowing it would most likely hurt the woman, she decided against it and succumbed to her task for the rest of the day. She followed the steps that Elena had told her to, her eyebrows drawn together in concentration as she all but hacked at the onion, oblivious to Elena's silent laughter as she watched her.

Since she had moved in, Kiara could count the times she and Elena had spend together on one hand. It wasn't out of dislike for one another, or a discomfort in each other's presence, it was purely because they were almost always too busy for it. Kiara had her work with Tony, and the occasional patrol of the city, while Elena was busy running an entire business. Kiara could say that she knew pretty much everything about Elena, right down to what she was wearing on her first date with Tony in 1986, as she was probably their most frequent topic of conversation when building suits. Elena, however, knew nothing about the enigmatic girl who had managed to weave herself into their lives. She didn't know where she came from, if she had family, if she liked cheese, or if she had a phobia of water. She didn't know a thing, and it was something she was desperate to change.

"I think I'm done."

Elena came to her side and inspected the bowls of chopped vegetables and meat. Most of them were unrecognisable and varied in size and shape, but Kiara looked quite proud of what she had done, and Elena didn't have the heart to change that. "They look perfect."

Kiara smiled widely at her before slipping over to the other side of the island, watching Elena cook with curiosity. "I could never do this. I'm impressed you can remember everything...How did you learn?" she wondered, her head cocking as she watched her add all the ingredients.

Elena's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise before she smiled over at the girl. "My Mother and my Gran taught me, but I had to teach myself a lot, too." She moved across the kitchen and took the next lot of ingredients and Kiara still watched her attentively. "What about you? You've faired better in the kitchen than Tony. By now he'd have blown something up."

"There's still time yet." Kiara joked as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I can't say I've ever really spent time in the kitchen. No one was around to teach me anything, and I've been handed most of my meals. Though, when I was in Sao Paulo, there was a woman, Miss Sofía, who lived close to me and she always tried to get me involved. She gave up after a few tries, but she always made sure I ate something fresh."

"She seems like quite the woman." Elena came to sit beside her, watching as she smiled to herself and nodded.

"She was. She is. She has six children to feed herself but she always made sure I had something. I reckon if I'd listened, I would've learnt everything from her." Kiara shrugged, a smile still playing at her lips as she thought of Miss Sofía. She was Kitty's Mother and had been just as fiery and brazen as her daughter. Apart from the simplicity, they were all she missed from her time on the run. She hoped they were both alright.

"Well, I hope you know that I'd always be willing to teach you anything. In fact, I'll be making a birthday cake for my Mother next week, if you'd like to help." The suggestion came as a shock to Kiara, who hadn't missed the hope in Elena's eyes, but her hope didn't quell her hesitance.

"Is it simpler than this?" she asked, nodding towards the paella that was still only halfway finished, "Because I don't want to ruin her cake."

Elena let out a loud laugh as Kiara smiled back at her. "It is simpler, I promise. You could make it on your own in no time."

Kiara snorted, not too sure the latter would pan out in the way Elena was hoping, but she was willing to try. "Well, I'm not sure who I could make it for. Or who could stomach it, actually."

Elena's laughter followed her into the kitchen as she pushed herself away from the island and carried on cooking. "Well, there's always a birthday around the corner...Speaking of, when is yours?"

"My birthday? I don't know...Sometime in June." Kiara shrugged as she leant over the counter to get a better look at what Elena was doing. However, the woman had ceased all action, and was staring at Kiara in horror.

"Sometime in June?" she repeated, disbelief in her voice. "But that was a month ago! Oh, why didn't you say?"

Kiara met her eye, a confused frown on her face as she saw how disturbed Elena seemed to be by the revelation. "It doesn't matter to me. It's not that special. I'm not even sure what day it is, anyway."

Kiara shrugged as she sat back in her seat. She watched as the cogs worked in Elena's head, her expression varying between horror, upset and utter confusion. She opened her mouth several times, and Kiara cocked her eyebrow, awaiting whatever she was going to say, but nothing was said.

"Really, its fine. I don't care about it." Kiara gave her a reassuring smile, but it did nothing to alter the older woman's expression.

"Oh...Oh, okay." She diverted her attention to paella while Kiara eyed her curiously. It was strange how much she seemed to care about such a trivial thing. She couldn't remember a single birthday that she'd celebrated, and when she really thought about it, she genuinely couldn't remember when it was, but it seemed to upset Elena so much that she wondered what she was missing out on. The poor woman had looked so distressed that she almost felt guilty for not caring.

"Here you are!" Tony's shout brought them both out of their reverie as he approached the two women with a smile, papers in hand. "I thought you'd wandered off. Turns out you've just been kidnapped." Elena rolled her eyes at him before her irritation melted in seconds as he wrapped his arm around her waist and placed a tender kiss to her temple. "Hello Dear."

"I did not kidnap her! And that is not for you." Elena smacked Tony's hand as he reached for the spoon. Kiara snickered at his offended look before his attention diverted to her, and he slid the papers over.

"Here. What do you think?"

She picked up the papers and found sketched of a board on them. It was a long, oval shape and seemed a perfect, sleek black with a wolf head at its center. There were plans for its dimensions and capabilities, and it seemed to be powered by its own arc reactor. And, in the corner, read 'Fido's Hoverboard MK II'.

Realising exactly what it was, Kiara looked up at Tony in astonishment, her mouth slightly agape. She had lost her Hoverboard to the vastness of space at the end of the battle, something she'd admitted to him had saddened her, but she'd never expected him to actually replace it. "Are you serious?"

Tony grinned back at her and nodded. "Of course. I figured its the least I could do, seeing as it would've been me up there. It's just a draft, so if there's any changes you want to make, or you think of anything else you want on there, just let me know."

"No." she said quickly, finally breaking out into a smile as she shook her head adamantly. "No, it's perfect, Tony, really. Thank you for this."

"You're welcome, Kid."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello darlings! I hope you're doing well! The response to the story has been wonderful, so I have to thank each and every one of you again! I appreciate it so much! Also, I watched Endgame on opening day...Just wow. Instant inspiration. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Love you all!**

 **G.C.Z**


End file.
